The Blackhawks fell 5-3 to the Panthers on Wednesday night, and now they have to turn around and play the Lightning on Thursday night. That is a tough assignment, and it's possible that Chicago is dealing with some tired legs. Offensively, the Blackhawks rank 31st in the NHL by averaging 2.20 goals per game. Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy hasn't been out of this world so far this season, but he is still one of the best netminders in the league. He should be able to hold Chicago in check.
The Lightning are starting to get the offense rolling after a slow start. However, the power play is still an issue. Tampa Bay's power play is operating at a 16.3% clip, which ranks 28th in the league. Veteran defenseman John Carlson was brought in to quarterback the man advantage, but now Charle-Edouard D'Astous has taken over that responsibility. He's been alright in that new role, but Tampa's power play has yet to really get rolling. Chicago's power play has been even worse this season, ranking dead last in the league at 10.6%. With both man advantages struggling as much as they are, it's tough to see this one going over the listed total of 6.5.
Blackhawks vs Lightning prediction: Under 6.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -115.
