Tampa Bay Lightning Now -1000 to Win Series Against Panthers – Does Florida Still Have a Chance?

• The Tampa Bay Lightning have taken a 2-0 series lead over the Florida Panthers
• The Bolts are now heavy -1000 favorites to win the series, while Florida is a +600 underdog
• Read below for analysis on the series and whether the Panthers offer value to comeback

The Tampa Bay Lightning are now heavy -1000 favorites to beat the Florida Panthers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after taking a 2-0 series lead. Superstar Nikita Kucherov has made an immediate impact upon returning, while goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has been a wall in the crease.

The Panthers are listed as +600 to defeat the Lightning in Round 1 after falling behind 2-0 in the series. Florida has put up a decent fight in the first two games and could make a bold goaltending change for Game 3.

Is there value betting on Florida to come back in the series, or do the Lightning have this locked up?

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Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers Series Odds

Odds as of May 20

Kucherov’s Return Sparks Bolts 

Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov had already had a major impact for the Lightning in the postseason after missing the entire regular season due to injury. The Russian superstar scored two power-play goals in Game 1 and added a helper in Game 2. Despite not playing a game all year, the 27-year-old showed no rust in his return.

There’s some controversy with Kucherov’s return, however, as some believe the Bolts circumvented the salary cap by leaving him on LTIR all season. The move freed up Kucherov’s $9.5 million cap hit and allowed the Lightning to create a cap-complaint team. With no salary cap enforced in the playoffs, the Lightning are now $17 million over the cap.

Kucherov has been one of many bright spots for the Lightning through two games. Brayden Point has picked up right where he left off in last year’s postseason with two goals. Meanwhile, Vasilevsky turned in an outstanding 32-save performance in Game 2. The Bolts’ power play is also clicking on all cylinders, going 3-for-7 in the series.

What’s Gone Wrong For Panthers? 

Florida is down 2-0 to the Lightning, but they haven’t played poorly through two games. Joel Quenneville’s team got four goals past Vasilevskiy in a back-and-forth Game 1 thriller and outshot the Bolts 33-29 in Game 2. The Panthers are matching up well against Tampa Bay at even strength, but they’re losing the special teams battle.

The Panthers’ elite top line featuring Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov has proven they can keep pace with the Bolts’ high-powered offense. Sam Bennett has also been a fantastic addition on the second line. Unfortunately, the former Flame wasn’t available for Game 2 as he was serving a one-game suspension.

Florida’s goaltending situation could be key to how the remainder of the series plays out. Sergei Bobrovsky and Chris Driedger have each started a playoff game, but neither have been able to outduel Vasilevskiy. The Panthers could throw a curveball at the Bolts and dress rookie phenom Spencer Knight. The 20-year-old has posted a .919 save percentage in his first three NHL starts.

Panthers vs Lightning Series Best Bet 

Although the Panthers have played well through two games against Tampa Bay, it’s easy to see why they are listed as longshots to come back in the series. Teams with a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Playoffs go on to advance 86.6 percent of the time. This is a veteran Tampa Bay team that has been here before and knows how to win tight games.

☑️☑️☑️ pic.twitter.com/FB0DSYLAUB

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) May 19, 2021

Florida can improve their chances by staying out of the penalty box, but it’s hard to see that lasting given how nasty this rivalry has gotten. Even during the regular season, the Panthers PK (79.8%) was ranked in the bottom half of the league while the Bolts had a top-10 power-play unit (22.4%).

The Lightning are favored in the Stanley Cup odds for a reason and have the talent to make another championship run. Spencer Knight is the x-factor as he’s delivered on the biggest stage at almost every level he’s played at. There’s a chance the 20-year-old could catch lightning in a bottle if he enters the series, which would give Florida some value at longshots odds.