The Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers will take the ice against each other on Thursday night. Florida is back at home after a five-game road trip and they will try to remain unbeaten on their home ice with a win here. Before the puck drops in Florida, continue reading to get my thoughts on this game, including my Penguins vs Panthers prediction.
Our Penguins vs Panthers Pick
- Pick: Under 6.5
- Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins vs Florida Panthers
- Date & Time: Thursday, October 23, 2025, 7:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, FL
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent Form
Pittsburgh is off to a strong 5-2-0 start this season and arrives on a three-game win streak. Their most recent victory was an impressive 5-1 road blowout over the Vancouver Canucks where their veteran scoring and goaltending both stepped up.
Florida sits at 4-4-0 overall despite being 3-0 at home. Their last win came in a 4-3 result over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday in which they blew a late lead but sealed it with a goal in the final seconds. Florida is expected to look a lot better now that they are back on home ice.
Goaltending
Florida’s projected starter Sergei Bobrovsky has a respectable save percentage of .914 and goals-against average of 2.19. Pittsburgh’s goalie rotation features Arturs Silovs and Tristan Jarry splitting duties. Silovs carries a 2.26 GAA and .919 save rate. Jarry is right there with him with a save percentage of .922. Pittsburgh’s recent defensive numbers are strong, averaging just 2.29 goals against per game. That could help the Pens defeat the defending champs.
Key Skaters
Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin has logged 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists) early in the season. Justin Brazeau leads the team in goals with five. The Penguins’ power play is converting at 26.3%. Florida’s Brad Marchand leads his team with eight points (3 goals, 5 assists). Anton Lundell has also been a key contributor with six points. But Florida’s offense is averaging just 2.38 goals per game and their power play is converting at 20.6%. Florida is also missing key players like Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk due to injury.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Evgeni Malkin | Over 0.5 points |
| Justin Brazeau | Over 0.5 goals |
| Brad Marchand | Over 0.5 assists |
Betting Trends & H2H
- This is the first of three regular-season games these teams will play this season.
- Pittsburgh is 6-1 on the puckline this season.
- Florida is 1-7 on the puckline so far this year.
Penguins vs Panthers Model Projection
| Team | Score Projection |
|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 2 |
| Florida Panthers | 3 |
Win Probability: Pittsburgh 40%, Florida 60%
Final Thoughts
The Panthers are undefeated at home and could very well remain that way after this game. But my best bet for this contest is for the game to land under the total of 6.5 goals. Both of these teams are allowing under three goals per game and the struggles of the Panthers on the attack should only help this game stay under the total in what will be a nice early litmus test for both teams.
