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Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers

Regular season · Saturday, December 26, 2026 · Amerant Bank Arena

Tampa Bay LightningTampa BayLightningAway

vs

Florida PanthersFloridaPanthersHome

The Spot · SCRIPPS

Game preview

The Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday, December 26, 2026, with puck drop at 6:00 PM ET. The game is on The Spot and SCRIPPS.

This is the second of 4 meetings between the teams this season.

Rest and travel

Lightning

First game of a road trip.

  1. 162026-12-16: no game
  2. 172026-12-17: vs CGY
  3. 182026-12-18: no game
  4. 192026-12-19: at TOR
  5. 202026-12-20: at DET, second of a back-to-backB2B
  6. 212026-12-21: no game
  7. 222026-12-22: vs STL
  8. 232026-12-23: no game
  9. 242026-12-24: no game
  10. 252026-12-25: no game
  11. 262026-12-26: at FLA
rest since last game
3 days
rest since last game
since last game
~179 mi
since last game
on this road trip
~179 mi
on this road trip
body clock vs home
Home time
body clock vs home

Panthers

Another game at home.

  1. 162026-12-16: no game
  2. 172026-12-17: no game
  3. 182026-12-18: no game
  4. 192026-12-19: vs CGY
  5. 202026-12-20: no game
  6. 212026-12-21: vs STL
  7. 222026-12-22: no game
  8. 232026-12-23: no game
  9. 242026-12-24: no game
  10. 252026-12-25: no game
  11. 262026-12-26: vs TBL
rest since last game
4 days
rest since last game
since last game
~0 mi
since last game
road trip
–
road trip
body clock vs home
Home time
body clock vs home
Home game Road game This gameB2B = second night of a back-to-back. Distances are approximate.

Lines from last game

Tampa Bay LightningLightningTue, Oct 13 at NYR
  1. L1Girgensons#28Holmberg#29Mikheyev#95
    10:27 together at 5v5
  2. L2Point#21Goncalves#93Kucherov#86
    5:49 together at 5v5
  3. L3NewHagel#38Guentzel#59Geekie#94
    1:46 together at 5v5
  1. D1Carlson#74Moser#90
    12:15 together at 5v5
  2. D2D'Astous#51Crozier#24
    10:25 together at 5v5
  3. D3McDonagh#27Cernak#81
    8:50 together at 5v5

Power play

  1. 1Hagel LGuentzel CPoint CKucherov RCarlson D2:13
  2. 2Cirelli CGoncalves CGeekie CHolmberg RD'Astous D0:50

Penalty kill

  1. 1Hagel LCirelli CHedman DCrozier D1:57
  2. 2Hagel LCirelli CMcDonagh DCernak D1:17
Florida PanthersPanthersTue, Oct 13 at CBJ
  1. L1Vilmanis#95Luostarinen#27Lundell#15
    9:55 together at 5v5
  2. L2NewEller#20Verhaeghe#23Reinhart#13
    9:43 together at 5v5
  3. L3Tkachuk#19Tkachuk#8Bennett#9
    7:58 together at 5v5
  4. L4NewImama#14Lafferty#18Hathaway#21
    7:54 together at 5v5
  1. D1Ekblad#5Forsling#42
    12:58 together at 5v5
  2. D2Jones#3Mikkola#77
    11:55 together at 5v5
  3. D3NewKulikov#7Balinskis#26
    11:24 together at 5v5

Power play

  1. 1Tkachuk LTkachuk LVerhaeghe CReinhart CJones D4:55
  2. 2Eller CBennett CLuostarinen CLundell CEkblad D2:58

Penalty kill

  1. 1Luostarinen CLundell CEkblad DForsling D0:57
  2. 2Eller CHathaway RJones DMikkola D0:37

Behind the bench

Each grey tick is one NHL team.

TBLFLA

Settled lines

Share of 5v5 time from the regular top four lines · 2026–27

TBL 57% (5th most shuffled)FLA 72% (7th most settled)
← Shuffles linesKeeps lines together →

Goalie pull, down one

Median time left in the 3rd when the goalie comes out, delayed penalties excluded · 2025–26

TBL 2:04 left (5th earliest · 16 pulls)FLA 2:30 left (2nd earliest · 15 pulls)
← Pulls latePulls early →

Average shift

All skaters, all strengths · 2025–26

TBL 49.1s (11th longest)FLA 47.4s (10th shortest)
← Short shiftsLong shifts →

Caught on long shifts

Share of 5v5 goals against with a skater 60s+ into his shift · 2025–26

TBL 28% (12th least often)FLA 27% (10th least often)
← Rarely caughtOften caught →

Season series