Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have already secured a playoff spot, but the closing stages of the regular season remain crucial — they are pushing for a higher seed to clinch home-ice advantage in the opening round. The Detroit Red Wings, meanwhile, are clinging to only a mathematical chance of staying in the hunt. A 1:4 defeat to the Florida Panthers has all but ended the campaign for the team. The visitors are in a poor mental state, and the schedule does them no favours — this will be their second away fixture in as many days.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning sit second in the Eastern Conference for home performance, having collected 75% of the available points — trailing only the Carolina Hurricanes in that regard. In their last five home outings, the Tampa Bay Lightning have averaged 4.8 goals per game. Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel are leading the attack, with the former scoring 24 goals and registering 82 assists, while the latter has amassed 85 points (35 goals and 50 assists) across 78 appearances. Defensively, the Lightning look solid. Over the past month, Andrei Vasilevskiy has kept two clean sheets and currently ranks among the NHL’s top five goaltenders in save percentage at 92.2%.
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings have stumbled badly in the final stretch, losing 10 of their last 11 games on the road. Away from home, they have claimed just 46% of the possible points. Their head-to-head record against the Tampa Bay Lightning is also troubling, with four defeats in the last five meetings — two of those featuring five or more goals conceded. The recent loss to the Florida Panthers was draining, and the Red Wings are unlikely to maintain the required intensity in back-to-back fixtures under such a demanding schedule.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Detroit Red Wings Prediction
The Tampa Bay Lightning are in good form, pushing for home-ice advantage, and come up against a side with poor away form and fatigue concerns. The hosts are scoring freely, while the Detroit Red Wings continue to struggle defensively. A combination bet looks the smart play.
