The Florida Panthers (16-13-2), defending Stanley Cup champions clinging to fifth in the Atlantic Division, travel across the state to face the Tampa Bay Lightning (18-11-3) in a heated Battle of Florida rivalry game on Monday night. Both teams enter banged up—Florida without captain Aleksander Barkov and star Matthew Tkachuk, Tampa missing Victor Hedman and potentially Andrei Vasilevskiy—setting up a gritty, physical affair where depth and special teams could decide the outcome. Tampa seeks to extend its season-series lead (1-0) and solidify second place, while Florida aims to snap a mini-road skid. With Nikita Kucherov torching nets and Brad Marchand providing agitator energy, expect fireworks in a matchup averaging 6.2 goals historically. Faceoff is at 7:00 p.m. ET from Benchmark International Arena, airing on NHL Network, Scripps Sports, and The Spot.
Venue Location
Benchmark International Arena
401 Channelside Dr
Tampa, FL 33602
The Lightning’s home since 1996 (formerly Amalie Arena), this 19,092-seat waterfront fortress is a cauldron for rivalries, where Tampa boasts an 8-7-0 home record. The sultry Florida air and passionate crowds amplify physical play, with opponents held to 2.8 goals per game here.
Puckdrop: 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT)
Broadcast: NHL Network (national), Scripps Sports (Panthers local), The Spot (Lightning local), TVAS (French), NBA League Pass alternative streams
Injury Report
Injuries have decimated both rosters, with Florida’s top line gutted and Tampa’s blue line thin. The official NHL injury report (as of 4 p.m. ET) shows:
| Team | Player | Status | Injury/Reason | Estimated Return |
| Panthers | Aleksander Barkov | Out | Knee (Surgery) | Jan 2026 |
| Matthew Tkachuk | Out | Groin (IR-NR) | Dec 15 (Questionable) | |
| Tomas Nosek | Out | Knee (IR-NR) | Mid-Dec 2025 | |
| Jonah Gadjovich | Out | Upper Body | TBD | |
| Dmitry Kulikov | Out | Upper Body (Surgery) | March 2026 | |
| Cole Schwindt | Out | Arm (IR) | Jan 2026 | |
| Lightning | Victor Hedman | Out | Elbow (Surgery) | Feb 1, 2026 |
| Erik Cernak | Out | Undisclosed (IR-LT) | Dec 31, 2025 | |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | Questionable | Undisclosed (IR) | Dec 15 | |
| Ryan McDonagh | Out | Undisclosed (IR) | TBD | |
| Emil Lilleberg | Day-to-Day | Undisclosed | Dec 15 |
Barkov and Tkachuk’s absences (combined 50+ points) force Florida to lean on Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart. Vasilevskiy’s potential return (after six missed games) is huge for Tampa; if out, Jonas Johansson steps in (2.53 GAA).
Key Player Matchups
With stars sidelined, this tilts to secondary scorers and goaltending. Tampa’s power play (22.4%, 4th) vs. Florida’s PK (82.2%, 18th) looms large, while physicality in the crease could spark ejections.
Brad Marchand (FLA LW) vs. Nikita Kucherov (TBL RW)
Marchand (18G, 16A; team-high 34P) thrives as agitator and finisher, drawing penalties (1.2 PIM/GP). Kucherov (13G, 29A; 42P, league-leading assists) dissects defenses with one-timers. Edge: Kucherov—his 21-27—48 career vs. FLA exploits Marchand’s aggression; expect 1.5+ points.
Sam Reinhart (FLA RW) vs. Brayden Point (TBL C)
Reinhart (15G, 15A) fills the void with sniping (18.7% PP), facing Point (12G, 20A; elite two-way). Edge: Point—his speed neutralizes Reinhart’s positioning; Point’s +15 rating shines in rivalry chaos.
Seth Jones (FLA D) vs. Jake Guentzel (TBL LW)
Jones (5G, 12A; shutdown D) battles Guentzel (15G, 18A; 33P), Tampa’s sniper on the rush. Edge: Guentzel—15 road goals this year overwhelm Jones’ mobility issues post-injury.
Sergei Bobrovsky (FLA G) vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy/Jonas Johansson (TBL G)
Bobrovsky (13-8-1, 2.84 GAA, .886 SV%) faces Vasilevskiy (11-6-2, 2.31 GAA, .917 SV% if back) or Johansson (6-5, 2.53 GAA). Edge: Vasilevskiy—18-15-1 career vs. FLA (.912 SV%); his return tips the scales.
Bonus Prop Watch: Kucherov Over 1.5 Points (-120) and Marchand Over 0.5 Goals (+195) hit in 65% of rivalry games.
Team Records
| Team | Overall Record | Home/Away | Division | Conference | Streak |
| Panthers | 16-13-2 | 10-6-2 Home / 6-7-0 Away | 5-5-1 | 10-9-1 | W1 |
| Lightning | 18-11-3 | 8-7-0 Home / 10-4-3 Away | 6-3-1 | 11-6-2 | L1 |
Florida ranks 12th in goals (3.13 GF/GP) but 20th defensively (3.16 GA/GP). Tampa is 5th offensively (3.25 GF/GP) and 10th on PK (85.4%).
Recent Team Forms
Florida’s 4-1 run masks injuries, with high-event wins fueling momentum. Tampa’s inconsistency (2-3 last five) stems from defensive absences, but home games average 3.8 GF.
Florida Panthers Last 5 Games (4-1-0):
| Date | Opponent | Result | Key Stats |
| Dec 13 | @ DAL | W 4-0 | Marchand: 2G; Bobrovsky: 19 SV, shutout |
| Dec 11 | @ COL | L 2-6 | Reinhart: 1G; 42 SA faced |
| Dec 10 | @ UTA | W 4-3 | Verhaeghe: GWG; 36 SOG |
| Dec 7 | vs. NYI | W 4-1 | Lundell: 2A; Tarasov: 21 SV |
| Dec 6 | vs. CBJ | W 7-6 OT | Marchand: 2G, 1A; 40 SOG |
Tampa Bay Lightning Last 5 Games (2-3-0):
| Date | Opponent | Result | Key Stats |
| Dec 13 | @ NYI | L 2-3 SO | Raddysh: 1G; Johansson: 15 SV |
| Dec 11 | @ NJD | W 8-4 | Guentzel: 2G, 2A; 35 SOG |
| Dec 9 | @ TOR | L 0-2 | Shutout loss; 29 SOG |
| Dec 9 | @ MTL | W 6-1 | Kucherov: 2G, 1A; 27 SOG |
| Dec 6 | vs. NYI | L 0-2 | Shutout; 19 SOG |
Averages: Panthers 4.4 GF/GP (last five), Lightning 3.2 GA/GP at home.
Series History
All-time, Florida holds a slim edge (89-64-10-19 overall, including playoffs), but Tampa leads recent regular-season tilts (7-3 last 10). Playoff series tied 2-2, with Florida’s 2023 ECF upset (4-2) fueling bad blood.
This season: Lightning lead 1-0
Nov 15, 2025: Lightning 3-1 @ Panthers (Zemgus Girgensons GWG; Vasilevskiy: 22 SV)
Tampa is 42-28-12 all-time at home vs. Florida, winning 60% of games by 2+ goals. Rivalry averages 6.2 total goals (Over in 55%).
Betting Trends
Key Trends:
Panthers: 10-16-5 ATS overall; 6-7 ATS away; Over in 18/31 (58%); 4-6 SU last 10 vs. TBL.
Lightning: 14-15-3 ATS; 8-7 SU at home; Under in 7/10 home (avg. 5.8 goals); 6-1 SU vs. FLA since 2024.
Head-to-Head: Over in 6/10; Lightning 4-1 SU last 5 home.
Game Odds
Florida Panthers 5.5
Tampa Bay Lightning – 142
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Sunday, December 14, 2025
