The Tampa Bay Lightning (20-13-3) visit the Florida Panthers (20-14-2) during Saturday's NHL slate, starting at 7 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena and broadcast on ESPN+. The Lightning are sixth (with 43 points) and the Panthers eighth (42 points) in the Eastern Conference.
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Lightning vs. Panthers: Dec. 27 Viewing Options
- Date: Saturday, December 27, 2025
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- How to watch on TV: ESPN+
- Location: Sunrise, Florida
- Venue: Amerant Bank Arena
- Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)
Lightning's 2025-26 Stats
| Stat | Per-Game Average | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals Scored | 3.25 | 6th |
| Goals Allowed | 2.61 | 4th |
| Shots | 27.6 | 20th |
| Shots Allowed | 26.5 | 6th |
| Power Play % | 17.24% | 22nd |
| Penalty Kill % | 84.35% | 3rd |
Panthers' 2025-26 Stats
| Stat | Per-Game Average | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals Scored | 3.19 | 9th |
| Goals Allowed | 3.14 | 18th |
| Shots | 29.3 | 7th |
| Shots Allowed | 26.6 | 7th |
| Power Play % | 19.05% | 17th |
| Penalty Kill % | 82.2% | 11th |
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Lightning vs. Panthers Top Players
Lightning
- A leading offensive player this season for Tampa Bay, Nikita Kucherov has put up 45 points.
- Jake Guentzel is another of Tampa Bay's important contributors currently with 38 total points (17 goals and 21 assists) to his name.
- On 95 shots (for 18 goals) and 13 assists, Brandon Hagel has created 31 points this season.
- In 22 games played this season, Andrei Vasilevskiy (13-7-2) has given up 50 goals.
Panthers
- Brad Marchand's 20 goals and 21 assists in 35 games for Florida add up to 41 total points on the season.
- Sam Reinhart has helped lead the attack for Florida this season with 19 goals and 19 assists.
- Carter Verhaeghe is a top contributor on offense for Florida with 11 goals and 17 assists.
- Sergei Bobrovsky is 16-8-1 this season, amassing 539 saves and giving up 68 goals (2.8 goals against average) with an .888 save percentage (48th in the league).
Lightning vs. Panthers Injury Report
Lightning
Victor Hedman: Out (Elbow),
Brandon Hagel: Day-To-Day (Upper Body),
Erik Cernak: Out (Undisclosed),
Emil Martinsen Lilleberg: Out (Undisclosed),
Ryan McDonagh: Day-To-Day (Undisclosed)
Panthers
Aleksander Barkov Jr.: Out (Knee),
Dmitry Kulikov: Out (Upper Body),
Cole Schwindt: Out (Arm),
Matthew Samoskevich: Day-To-Day (Lower Body),
Jonah Gadjovich: Out (Upper Body),
Tomas Nosek: Out (Knee),
Matthew Tkachuk: Out (Groin)
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Lightning's Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Home/Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/18/2025 | Kings | L 2-1 | Home |
| 12/20/2025 | Hurricanes | W 6-4 | Home |
| 12/22/2025 | Blues | W 4-1 | Home |
| 12/27/2025 | Panthers | - | Away |
| 12/28/2025 | Canadiens | - | Home |
| 12/31/2025 | Ducks | - | Away |
| 1/1/2026 | Kings | - | Away |
Panthers' Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Home/Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/19/2025 | Hurricanes | W 4-3 | Home |
| 12/20/2025 | Blues | L 6-2 | Home |
| 12/23/2025 | Hurricanes | W 5-2 | Away |
| 12/27/2025 | Lightning | - | Home |
| 12/29/2025 | Capitals | - | Home |
| 12/30/2025 | Canadiens | - | Home |
| 1/2/2026 | Rangers | - | Home |