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.

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.

This was a high-shot volume, high-chance game that featured terrific goaltending from Andrei Vasilevskiy and Lukas Dostal. The teams each scored three goals through 60 minutes but easily could have exceeded that total. In the end, the Lightning netted the only goal in the shootout to secure a crucial second point in the standings.

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 ...

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.

The Anaheim Ducks and Tampa Bay Lightning faced off for the second time in two weeks last night when they battled for 65 minutes plus a shootout at Amalie Arena in Tampa.

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

Florida Panthers centre Sam Reinhart (13) celebrates with defenceman Niko Mikkola (77) and teammates after scoring a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (Jessie Alcheh/AP)

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.

Nikita Kucherov had two goals and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2. Brandon Hagel also scored for the Lightning, and Anthony Cirelli and Nick