Columbus Blue Jackets vs Tampa Bay Lightning: Stats Hook & Tips

Friday morning ice hockey heads to Nationwide Arena as the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Fri 13 Nov, 11:00 am AEDT. It is an intriguing Eastern Conference matchup, with both sides keen to make a statement after dropping their previous outings. If you are looking for data-driven insights and top angles, our breakdown of the nhl tips delivers the numbers that jump right off the page.

Blue Jackets vs Lightning: Who Takes The Points?

Tampa Bay enters this contest sitting 8th on the NHL ladder with an 11-4-2 record across 17 games, collecting 24 points. The Lightning possess a potent offensive engine that averages 3.71 goals per game over the season, led by key scorers Nikita Kucherov (5G, 17A), Jake Guentzel (10G, 8A), and Brandon Hagel (9G, 9A). Although Tampa Bay is coming off a narrow 3–4 away defeat to the Winnipeg Jets on Mon, 9 Nov, they have won three of their past five overall matches.

The Columbus Blue Jackets occupy 29th spot on the ladder with a 7-8-0 season record (14 points). Through 15 games, Columbus has averaged 2.53 goals for per game while conceding 3.13 goals against per game. Top point producers for the Blue Jackets include Kent Johnson (8G, 8A), Zach Werenski (2G, 12A), and Charlie Coyle (3G, 10A). Columbus last start resulted in a 1–4 loss to the Florida Panthers at home on Wed, 11 Nov, giving them two wins from their past five overall starts. Over their last three home fixtures, Columbus has posted an average of 3.3 goals for and 2.3 goals against.

Underlying season stats show Tampa Bay holding the edge in possession and special teams, operating at a 56.6% Corsi rating and a 19.35% power play efficiency. Columbus currently records a 49% Corsi rating and a 17.5% power play efficiency. On the head-to-head board, Tampa Bay Lightning are priced as 1.65 away favourites, while the Columbus Blue Jackets sit at 2.15 as home underdogs. Given Tampa Bay's scoring power and superior ladder position, the visitors rate a real chance to claim the win.