The Florida Panthers (-210) are on the road to face the Columbus Blue Jackets (+175) at Nationwide Arena on Sunday. The total is 6.5 (O: -130, U: +110)Both teams will be playing the second of a back-to-back. The Panthers are 1-0 without rest, while the Blue Jackets are 1-2. Florida (9-7-2) is coming off a high-scoring 5-4 shootout loss against the Flames yesterday.
The Panthers committed five penalties in the game, conceding one power play goal. Four players found the net for the Panthers. Matthew Tkachuk scored and provided an assist to share the scoring lead with Sam Bennett, who had two assists. Spencer Knight only had 31 saves on 35 shots against (.885%) in the loss.
Columbus (6-10-1) fell 6-1 to the Red Wings yesterday. Emil Bemstrom netted the lone goal for the Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo saved only 31 of 37 shots against (.837%) in the loss.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Panthers won two of the three games between the teams last season, although the Blue Jackets were 6-3 victors in their final meeting in February. Oliver Bjorkstrand (1G 1A), Jakub Voracek (0G 2A), and Jack Roslovic (0G 2A) each had two points to lead Columbus. Jonathan Huberdeau (1G 1A) and Aleksander Barkov (0G 2A) each had two points to lead Florida. J-F Berube got the win, saving 39 of 42 shots (.928%).
FACING OFF
Florida is averaging 3.33 goals per game for the season, 11th in the NHL, and they are taking on a Blue Jackets team that is allowing 4.41 goals a game (32nd). Meanwhile, Columbus has found the net 2.94 times a game on average, 21st in the league, and the Panthers are allowing opponents to score 3.22 goals per game (16th).
Florida averages more shots a game (39.8) than any other team in the league, though the team’s 8.5% shooting percentage ranks 31st. Columbus has struggled with stopping shots, ranking No. 32 with a team save percentage of .882%. Look for multiple power play opportunities for the Blue Jackets, as the Panthers are averaging 5.00 penalties per game, fifth-most in the NHL.
The visitors’ 11.00 penalty minutes a game ranks 11th-highest. The home team has been penalized 3.35 times a game (4th-fewest in the league) for an average of 7.53 minutes (5th-fewest). The Blue Jackets’ 10.26% power play percentage is the worst in the league, while the Panthers rank 27th with a conversion rate of 17.39%. When it comes to defending power plays, Florida has the league’s 19th-ranked PK% at 77.94%, while Columbus is 22nd at 75.00%.
TOP PERFORMERS:
With 24 points this season, Tkachuk is the top skater for the Panthers. He is among the league leaders with 17 assists (8th) and has added seven goals of his own. In the net, Knight (5-3-0) is Florida’s top goaltender by goals against average.
He has a 2.25 GAA and a .923% save percentage. Sergei Bobrovsky (4-4-1) leads the Panthers in games played in goal. He has a GAA of 3.46 and a save percentage of .895%.
Johnny Gaudreau leads the Blue Jackets in scoring with 15 points. He has six goals and nine assists. Korpisalo (3-1-1) has the best goals against average for Columbus at 3.76. He has a save percentage of .909%.
Elvis Merzlikins (2-5-0) has played the most games in net for the Blue Jackets this season. He has a 4.74 GAA and a .864% save percentage.
HOME AND AWAY
Florida is 4-5-0 on the road this season. Columbus is 5-6-0 at Nationwide Arena this season.
SportsTips’ NHL Pick:
Columbus Blue Jackets (+170)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
