NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning - Source: Imagn — Looking at the Florida Panthers projected lines for today's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning (image credit: IMAGN)

Panthers lineup today: Florida’s projected lineup for Game 3 against Tampa Bay Lightning | Stanley Cup Playoffs, Round 1, April 26, 2025

Modified Apr 26, 2025 05:00 GMT

Florida will look to go up 3-0 in its first-round series against Tampa Bay on Saturday. After a 2-0 win on Thursday, the Panthers will head back home to host the Lightning for Games 3 and 4.

With a chance to close out the series in four games, the reigning Stanley Cup champions have plenty of momentum on their side when they take the ice at home.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay will be under the gun, with the team in desperate need of a win if it wants to avoid a 0-3 series deficit.

The big question is if Florida captain Aleksander Barkov will suit up after exiting Game 2 with an injury.

Florida Panthers projected lines

Note: Lines subject to change, * indicates player is questionable

Forwards

Carter Verhaeghe - Aleksander Barkov* - Sam Reinhart
Mackie Samoskevich - Sam Bennett - Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen - Anton Lundell - Brad Marchand
Jesper Boqvist - Nico Sturm - Evan Rodrigues

Defense

Gustav Forsling - Seth Jones
Niko Mikkola - Dmitry Kulikov
Uvis Balinskis - Nate Schmidt

Goalies

Sergei Bobrovsky
Vitek Vanecek

Powerplay

Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov*, Sam Reinhart, Mackie Samoskevich, Seth Jones
Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, Evan Rodrigues, Nate Schmidt

Penalty kill

Evan Rodrigues, Jonah Gadjovich, Gustav Forsling, Seth Jones
Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Niko Mikkola, Dmitry Kulikov

Odds for Game 3 between Panthers and Lightning

The Panthers are slight betting favorites on most major sportsbooks following their back-to-back wins.

On FanDuel, Florida is a -138 favorite, while Tampa Bay is a +115 underdog. On DraftKings, the Panthers are -135 favorites and the Lightning are +114 underdogs.

It would take a $135 bet on the reigning Stanley Cup champs to win $100 on DraftKings, and a $100 bet on Tampa Bay would net $114.

Following Game 3, the two teams will be back in action on Monday. If the Lightning steal one on the road, the teams will collide in Tampa Bay for Game 5 on Wednesday.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

Know More

Wayne Gretzky’s wife Janet responds to critics questioning his loyalty to Canada, Bobby Orr's support following 4 Nations drama