Tampa Bay vs Philadelphia Prediction: the Lightning to Get a Comfortable Victory

Prediction for the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning vs Philadelphia Flyers match, which will take place on October 19. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Tampa Bay has been a finalist in the last three consecutive Stanley Cups. John Cooper's team won the trophy twice, and last season they could not defend the title, losing in the decisive confrontation to Colorado. Obviously, the backbone of the Lightning has accumulated a huge fatigue over this tme, so even in the opening game they lacked freshness. Already in the starting game they had lost to the Rangers - 1:3, then beat Columbus - 5:2. The day before they had suffered a crushing defeat against Pittsburgh - 2:6. There is no doubt that the Southerners will make it to the playoffs again, but it will be very difficult for them to meet the big challenge.

Philadelphia is one of the league's hopeless underdogs of recent years, a status the Flyers reached quite suddenly and abruptly the season before last. They started the regular season well, but then fell apart so badly that they didn't make the playoffs at all. Now in the offseason they are led by the experienced John Tortorella, who is sure to get the players moving. It's another matter that the Reds' roster leaves a lot to be desired, but even so they had a great start to the regular season, taking turns beating New Jersey and Vancouver 5:2 and 3:2 respectively.

Philadelphia fans should make a screenshot of the Eastern Conference standings right now, as their favorites are currently ranked higher than the league's strongest team of the last three years. The picture will change very soon, as even the brilliant John Tortorella is unlikely to keep his new team in the top. That said, even though the Lightning are in bad shape, they're still a lot stronger than the Reds. In the last season John Cooper's wards won all three of their personal meetings.

We should not expect a lot of scoring activity in the upcoming confrontation. We all know what John Tortorella has done to Columbus over the years. Back then, the Jackets were afraid to run out on offense, focusing solely on defense. As soon as the new coach appeared in Ohio, the players became relieved and began to play cheerfully again. The Flyers will now prioritize solid defensive formation, while Tampa Bay is unlikely to insist on an open exchange of blows.

Tampa Bay has not yet gone into a global rebuild, but has lost a number of important players in recent years, so John Cooper has to look for new playing combinations. Vladislav Namestnikov, who once played for the Lightning and did very well, but then tried to find himself on other teams in the league, becomes one of the elements of this puzzle. It did not work out very well, so now he returned to the South and in the three initial meetings has already earned two assisted points. 

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