Tampa Bay Lightning vs Carolina Hurricanes Prediction: Don't expect to see stars

Prediction for the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning vs Carolina Hurricanes match which will take place on September 25th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Last season was John Cooper's tenth in the NHL. The Canadian coach joined the team in 2013 and has since won the Stanley Cup twice (2020 and 2021). Last season, Tampa could have won another championship. Still, in the first stage of the playoffs, they did not play the most convincing hockey against Florida, and Nikita Kucherov and company went on holiday (4:1 in the series). In the new regular season, the Lightning will be looking to improve on last season's results and at least finish in the top four in the Eastern Conference.

Last season, the Hurricanes were the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. As a reminder, the Hurricanes had their own in the top three standings, eventually finishing second, three points behind the first-place Rangers. Carolina only had one team to beat in the playoffs - the Islanders (4:1 in the series). They struggled against another New York club (4:2).

This is both teams' first game of the pre-season, so don't expect to see stars like Kucherov, Point, Aho, Svechnikov, and others on the ice. The coaches will likely bring out young hockey players to try them out.