The Tampa Bay Lightning (25-18-3) head to the United Center looking to snap a two-game losing streak as they face the Chicago Blackhawks (15-28-4) in their first meeting of the season on Friday night.
The Lightning, who lead the NHL in goals per game with 3.61, have shown offensive prowess throughout the season but are coming off disappointing losses to Toronto and Montreal where defensive lapses proved costly.
The Blackhawks, meanwhile, have struggled significantly, dropping 11 of their last 14 games and allowing an average of 3.43 goals per game, ranking 30th in the league.
Historical matchups heavily favor Tampa Bay, who have won nine of their last ten encounters with Chicago, with each victory coming by a margin of two or more goals.
Both teams are dealing with potential roster challenges, as the Lightning may be without defenseman Erik Cernak, while the Blackhawks are monitoring the status of forwards Craig Smith and Pat Maroon.
This matchup presents an intriguing contrast between Tampa Bay's high-powered offense and Chicago's defensive struggles, setting the stage for what could be a pivotal game for both teams' trajectories this season.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: who will win?
For tonight's Chicago Blackhawks vs Tampa Bay Lightning matchup, our predictive model gives the Lightning a 62% chance of defeating the Hawks.
Pre-game probabilities
Tampa Bay Lightning
Moneyline
Win %
62%
38%
Chicago Blackhawks
Tampa Bay Lightning: 62% win probability
- Superior offensive output (167 goals for vs Hawks' 123)
- Better goal differential (-14 vs Hawks' -39)
- Higher points percentage (53 points in 46 games vs Hawks' 34 in 47)
Chicago Blackhawks: 38% win probability
- Poor recent form (LWLLL in last 5 games)
- Weak offensive production (123 goals, lowest in Western Conference)
- Poor defensive record (162 goals against, second-worst in Western Conference)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts. Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts..
| Chicago Blackhawks | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
|---|---|---|
| moneyline |
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning form
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning head to head
Chicago Blackhawks
17%
Tampa Bay Lightning
83%
Nov 17, 2023
Chicago Blackhawks
2 : 4
Tampa Bay Lightning
Nov 10, 2023
Tampa Bay Lightning
3 : 5
Chicago Blackhawks
Mar 12, 2023
Tampa Bay Lightning
3 : 1
Chicago Blackhawks
Jan 4, 2023
Chicago Blackhawks
1 : 4
Tampa Bay Lightning
Apr 1, 2022
Tampa Bay Lightning
5 : 2
Chicago Blackhawks
Mar 7, 2022
Chicago Blackhawks
3 : 6
Tampa Bay Lightning
