Florida Panthers vs Pittsburgh Penguins Picks and Predictions for Thursday, October 22, 2026

Florida has been putting plenty of goals on the board lately, and Pittsburgh hasn't been doing much to stop opponents from scoring. The Panthers visit PPG Paints Arena on Thursday for a 7:00 pm ET matchup on ESPN+. Florida enters the week 5-2-2, sitting fourth in the Atlantic Division with 12 points. The Panthers beat Seattle 8-3 in their last outing and have won three straight. They'll also be playing Wednesday in Ottawa, making Thursday the second game of a back-to-back. Pittsburgh is 3-6-1, sixth in the Metropolitan Division with seven points, following a 5-4 loss at Utah. Take a look at our free NHL picks.

Florida Has Plenty of Players Finding the Net

Eight goals against Seattle is quite a way to finish a homestand. Florida had already beaten Vancouver 3-2 in overtime and Columbus 7-3, so the Panthers have scored 18 times during their three-game winning streak. It wasn't all going smoothly before that. Buffalo beat Florida 5-3, and Minnesota handed the Panthers a 4-1 defeat. The offense has since picked up considerably. Florida is averaging 3.33 goals per game, but its defensive numbers deserve attention as well. Opponents are managing only 24 shots per game, and the Panthers have allowed 2.78 goals per outing.

Matthew Tkachuk has been setting up goals almost every night. He's collected 11 assists and three goals for 14 points in nine games. Brady Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe have each scored six times, while Sam Reinhart has five goals, including four on the power play. Florida has converted 20.9% of its man-advantage opportunities. In goal, Jacob Markstrom has a 2.21 goals-against average and one shutout but is unavailable. Akira Schmid has made four appearances, posting a 3.25 average and an .878 save percentage. Florida will need better stops from Schmid if he gets the start.

Injuries: Jacob Markstrom is out. Brad Marchand, Aleksander Barkov and Jonah Gadjovich are on injured reserve.

Pittsburgh Has Been Giving Up Too Many Goals

Pittsburgh keeps finding itself in games where scoring three or four goals isn't enough. The Penguins put four past Utah on Monday and still lost 5-4. Before that came defeats against Vegas, Colorado and Chicago, with Pittsburgh allowing at least five goals in each game. The Penguins haven't won since beating Dallas 2-1 in a shootout on October 10. Their offense is averaging a respectable 3.20 goals per game, but opponents are scoring 3.70. That's a difficult gap to overcome, particularly against a Florida team with several dangerous scorers.

Erik Karlsson leads Pittsburgh with 11 points, thanks largely to his 10 assists. Evgeni Malkin has five goals, while Sidney Crosby has six points and Tommy Novak has eight. The Penguins have converted 23.3% of their power plays, giving them another way to score. The trouble has been at the other end. Arturs Silovs has a 3.51 goals-against average and an .866 save percentage. Sergei Murashov hasn't been much better, posting a 3.50 average and an .883 save percentage. Pittsburgh needs a stronger performance in net before these close games start turning into wins.

Injuries: Trevor van Riemsdyk, Justin Brazeau and Ryan Graves are on injured reserve. Bryan Rust and Samuel Girard are day-to-day.

Key To The Game

Florida has scored 18 goals in its last three games, while Pittsburgh has surrendered 21 over four straight losses. The Penguins have enough offense to compete, but their goaltenders need to make more stops against Florida's dangerous forwards.

Florida vs Pittsburgh Game Pick

• Florida Panthers

Florida is playing much better hockey than Pittsburgh right now. The Panthers have won three straight and scored at least seven goals in two of those games. Pittsburgh has allowed five or more in four consecutive losses, and neither goaltender has been particularly sharp. Matthew Tkachuk has been creating plenty of scoring chances, with 11 assists already. Florida has more dependable scoring options and will come away with the victory.

Florida vs Pittsburgh Over/Under Pick

• Over 6.5

Pittsburgh's recent games haven't been short on goals. The Penguins have allowed 21 over their last four outings, while Florida has scored 18 during its three-game winning streak. Both clubs also convert more than 20% of their power-play chances. Florida's defensive numbers are better, but Pittsburgh has enough offensive talent to contribute. With both teams finding the net, this matchup will finish over 6.5 goals on Thursday night.