Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are scheduled and then offers insight and analysis to help predict who will be victorious in head-to-head matchups.

Jake Guentzel scored the only shootout goal as the Tampa Bay Lightning earned a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night. Guentzel, who had a goal in regulation, beat Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal (34 saves) between the pads to open the shootout.

Anaheim opened the scoring 6:03 into the game on a redirection by forward Troy Terry, but the Lightning tied the score eight minutes later on the power play. Hedman got the puck at the left point and fed forward Brandon Hagel in the right corner, where the latter passed the puck to Anthony Cirelli at the back post for a tap-in and a tie game.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got back in the win column on Thursday night, defeating the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 in a shootout at AMALIE Arena to earn a season series split with their Western Conference opponent. Jake Guentzel scored the lone goal in the three-round shootout.

TAMPA — The Lightning have spent all season tweaking their power play, but the looks they showed before Thursday’s game against the Ducks featured ... play catalyst Nikita Kucherov playing ...

Pregame analysis and predictions of the Anaheim Ducks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning NHL game to be played on January 16, 2025 on ESPN.

Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy turned away shots by Anaheim forward Mason McTavish and Ducks leading scorer Troy Terry in the shootout to allow Tampa Bay to win its 24th game of the season, leaving the Lightning in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Anaheim Ducks (18-21-5, in the Pacific Division ... Frank Vatrano scored two goals in the victory. TOP PERFORMERS: Nikita Kucherov has 20 goals and 42 assists for the Lightning.

Although the Ducks beat the Lightning by three goals on Jan. 5, they have, more recently, been battered on their season-long road trip. The Ducks sandwiched the only win on a journey that began with two lopsided losses between a pair of shutouts by their opponents.

Tampa Bay Lightning (24-16-3, in the Atlantic Division) Tampa, Florida; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Detroit Red Wings after the Lightning beat the Anaheim Ducks ... TOP PERFORMERS: Nikita Kucherov has 20 goals and ...