Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Anaheim Ducks Preview

The Tampa Bay Lightning will kick off their two-game homestand with a cross-conference matchup against the Anaheim Ducks tonight at 7 p.m.

The Bolts (23-16-3) are coming off a disheartening 6-2 loss to a key division rival in the Boston Bruins.

Recent Performances

The Lightning will be head back to Amelie Arena after a frustrating road trip that saw the team go 1-1-1. While the Bolts took down the Pittsburgh Penguins in decisive fashion, the other two games were marked by subpar performances on both ends of the ice. To top it off, star center Brayden Point sat for a game due to missing a team meeting.

Brayden Point will be a healthy scratch for the Lightning against the Bruins after he missed a team meeting. pic.twitter.com/rv3WTJ6pOT

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 14, 2025

Andrei Vasilevskiy has generally returned to form after an uncharacteristic down year, but every good goalie has bad games — and his performance against Boston left much to be desired. The Bruins scored four straight and ultimately notched six goals on only 24 shots on Tuesday. Two of those were empty-net goals.

Another worrying aspect for Tampa Bay has been slow starts. In all three games on the road trip, the other team struck first. While the Lightning have been good playing from behind, it’s not a favorable position to be in every game — a sentiment echoed by the players themselves.

Victor Hedman on the #Bolts slow start tonight: “Being down four after 25 minutes is tough to get out of so, yes, once again, we put ourselves in a hole and we weren’t able to climb out. I think, obviously, after they scored the fourth one, we had a lot of chances. We made it a…

— Gabby Shirley (@Gabby_Shirley_) January 15, 2025

However, these trends can easily be fixed and shouldn’t be long-term concerns. Vasilevskiy goes into the game boasting a .916 save percentage, and backup goalie Jonas Johansson has been solid all season. The team is also 4th in the league in goals scored, pointing to this offensive slump being just that— a slump.

Keys to Victory

Even though Anaheim (18-21-5) won the first matchup against the Lightning 4-1, the Bolts should still be easy favorites to win.

The Ducks have struggled to generate anything offensively all season, sitting 29th in the league in goals scored, and 31st in expected goal percentage. They’re also on the tail-end of a long road trip where they’ve only won one game.

Meanwhile, the Lightning are well-rested and eager for a bounce-back victory. Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov are on multi-game point streaks, and both players are at the precipice of 600 assists. That’s a milestone that has never been achieved by any player in franchise history.

If the Lightning want to win, they need to strike early and take advantage of Anaheim’s struggles. They also need a solid performance from their goaltender, whether it be Vasilevskiy or Johansson in net.

Looking Ahead

The game will be broadcasted at 7 p.m. tonight on FanDuel Sports Network and ESPN+.

The Lightning will also host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.