The NHL slate on Saturday features a showdown between the Florida Panthers (20-14-2) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (20-13-3), starting at 7 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena and broadcast on ESPN+. The Panthers are eighth in the Eastern Conference (42 points), and the Lightning are sixth in the Eastern Conference (43 points).
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Panthers vs. Lightning: 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)
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 |
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 |
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Panthers vs. Lightning Top Players
Panthers
- A productive offensive player this season for Florida, Brad Marchand has recorded 41 points.
- Sam Reinhart is another of Florida's major contributors currently with 38 total points (19 goals and 19 assists) to his name.
- On 81 shots (for 12 goals) and 16 assists, Anton Lundell has contributed 28 points this season.
- In 25 games played this season, Sergei Bobrovsky (16-8-1) has given up 68 goals.
Lightning
- Nikita Kucherov has recorded 13 goals and 32 assists in 32 games for Tampa Bay, good for 45 points.
- Jake Guentzel is a top offensive contributor for Tampa Bay with 38 total points this season. He has scored 17 goals and added 21 assists in 36 games.
- Brandon Hagel is a top contributor on offense for Tampa Bay with 18 goals and 13 assists.
- Andrei Vasilevskiy is 13-7-2 this season, collecting 523 saves and allowing 50 goals (2.3 goals against average) with a .914 save percentage (10th-best in the league).
Panthers vs. Lightning Injury Report
Panthers
Dmitry Kulikov: Out (Upper Body),
Cole Schwindt: Out (Arm),
Matthew Samoskevich: Day-To-Day (Lower Body),
Tomas Nosek: Out (Knee),
Matthew Tkachuk: Out (Groin),
Aleksander Barkov Jr.: Out (Knee),
Jonah Gadjovich: Out (Upper Body)
Lightning
Brandon Hagel: Out (Upper Body),
Victor Hedman: Out (Elbow),
Emil Martinsen Lilleberg: Out (Undisclosed),
Erik Cernak: Out (Undisclosed)
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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 |
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 |