TAMPA — After winning the first two games of the series at home in Sunrise, the Florida Panthers came into Amalie Arena and took Game 3 from the Tampa Bay Lightning, winning 5-3.

 

The Panthers now hold a 3-0 series lead and will have the chance to sweep the Lightning on Saturday night in Tampa. 

 

Carter Verhaeghe,  Matthew Tkachuk and Anton Lundell connected for the overtime winner in Game 2. In Thursday night’s Game 3, they did it again to open the scoring. 

 

With possession of the puck deep in Tampa’s zone, Verhaeghe spun a pass to Lundell, who circled behind Tampa’s net, feeding a wide open Tkachuk in front of goal. Tkachuk beat Vasilevskiy for his second goal of the postseason — giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead, 10:39 into the game.

 

There was a clear advantage for special teams numbers in the first period. Tampa went to the power play three times, Florida didn’t have one. 

Fortunately for the Panthers, they not only killed all three, but they did a very good job at clogging up the zone, hindering Tampa’s zone entries on the first two power play attempts. 

 

Not too much was going for the Lightning in the first, but they appeared to finally get on the board with 17 seconds to go in the opening period.

 

Anthony Cirelli beat Sergei Bobrovsky to tie the game, however, a coach’s challenge from the Panthers bench was successful in overturning the goal for offsides. 

 

The Panthers went to the break up 1-0.

 

Down 2-0 in the series and 1-0 in the game, the home team needed life and their captain brought it to them.

 

Just 44 seconds into the second, Steven Stamkos redirected a shot from Victor Hedman past Sergei Bobrovsky to tie the game up at 1-1.

 

That was Stamkos’ third goal of the playoffs, the most of anyone in the series at that point. 

 

In the first three games of the series, someone has scored within the opening minute of the period — Verhaeghe in Game 1 (58 seconds), Point in Game 2 (48 seconds), and Stamkos in Game 3 (44 seconds). 

 

Feeding off their captain’s goal, the Lightning would take their first lead of the series a little over two minutes later. 

 

Tyler Motte beat Sergei Bobrovsky up high for his first goal of the series, giving the Lightning a 2-1 lead 2:56 into the second.

 

The surge from the Lightning in the following six minutes of interrupted play was unlike anything the Panthers had seen all season. 

 

Tampa was the faster team, the tougher team and they fed off the home crowd. 

 

“I would say on the road, you can expect the home team to have dominance in at least 10 minutes of the game,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. “They’re going to get hot… they scored the goal very early in the second period and that’s what got it cooking for them and for 10 minutes you’re behind the play a little bit.”

Florida was on their heels, holding on for dear life as the home team pushed harder than they all season long. It seemed like the only thing to stop the bleeding was a tv timeout, but the play wouldn’t stop. 

 

A few huge saves from Bobrovsky kept Florida within a goal.

 

The Panthers had one good break, a lucky one almost, but they were able to tie the game and end the Lightning’s storm.

 

7:02 after Motte’s goal, Sam Reinhart ripped a shot over Vasilevskiy, tying things up again at 2-2. 

 

Reinhart’s second of the series was a big one to tie up the game, but the timing was all but perfect as the Lightning looked like a freight train who lost its breaks. 

As the period continued, the game started to settle down as Florida regained their footing.

 

With 3:30 left in the second, Brandon Montour would reclaim the lead for the Panthers with his first of the postseason. 

 

Florida’s fourth line did the bulk of the work — cycling the puck down low and setting up the screen which led to the goal.

 

Kyle Okposo, who drew into the lineup on Thursday due to a few missing Panthers forwards, picked up an assist in his first playoff game since 2016. 

 

“I’ve worn a lot of different hats in my career. I’ve even in the first line, fifth line, healthy scratch, playing 25 minutes. I’ve kind of done a lot of different things,” Okposo said. “I’m going to play to the best of my abilities and be ready to play. I completely accepted my role (on this team).”

 

This fourth-line of Kyle Okposo and Nick Cousins centered by Steven Lorentz wasn’t a line for Game 1 of the playoffs. With both Sam Bennett and Ryan Lomberg out of the lineup, the Panthers had to do some line juggling, adding Lorentz and Okposo to the lineup over the past two games. 

 

They were the difference. 

 

Holding just a one goal lead midway through the third, the fourth-line did it again. 

 

Another hard forecheck forced a puck to the slot and Steven Lorentz didn’t waste his chance to put away his first career playoff goal.

 

Tampa never goes away, it’s been clear all series long, and they wouldn’t go down easy on home ice.

 

With 5:10 left in regulation, Nick Paul beat Bobrovsky, cutting the Lightning’s deficit to one.

 

Florida would hold off the final Tampa attempts winning the game 5-3 after Matthew Tkachuk scored an empty netter — they lead the series 3-0.

 

“We are in a position right now that we would have dreamed about at the beginning of the series,” Tkachuk said. “We’re in a great position. I mean, standing here now and considering to be up 3-0, I’ll gladly take it.”

SUNRISE — Tuesday night’s Game 2 between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning will go down as another all-time playoff game between the Sunshine State’s two teams. 

 

Carter Verhaeghe scored the game winner in overtime — the fifth playoff OT winner of his career (tied for third most all-time) — as the Panthers walked out of Amerant Bank Arena with a 3-2 win.

 

“He’s got the clutch gene. He’s born with it man,” Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said of Verhaeghe. “You say that but it’s a lot of years of hard work… when you’re with him every day and see the work ethic he puts in, there’s no surprise at all.”

 

Florida took care of business at home, winning both Games 1 and 2, and will take a 2-0 series lead to Tampa. 

 

Florida dominated the opening frame — taking a 2-0 lead with goals from Sam Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko.

 

Like they did on Sunday, the Panthers didn’t give up too many chances to the lightning in the first period — outshooting them 13-3 going into the intermission. ‘

 

As the Panthers controlled the game in the first, the Lightning, trailing in the series and in the game, played their best period of the series in the second. 

 

Tampa scored twice in the opening six minutes of the period, with goals from Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos — quickly erasing the two-goal hole they put themselves in. 

 

Entering the series, it was blatantly obvious that both teams’ have elite goaltending and on Tuesday, that couldn’t be more than true.

 

With 5:57 left in the second, Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made possibly one of the best saves in playoff history — at the very least in Panthers history. 

 

Lightning defenseman Matt Dumba had about as wide open of a net as you possibly could have. 

 

Shooting from just a few feet away, Dumba should have made it a 3-2 game. Instead, he was robbed by a sprawling Bobrovsky, who spun his entire body around to make the save with his forearm. 

 

“That was unbelievable,” Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson said. “We know that he can make those saves, but that was something else.”

 

On the other end, Tampa’s own Vezina winning goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy once again kept his team in the game with 34 saves.

 

Thanks to the spectacular goaltending, regulation wouldn’t be enough to find a winner on Tuesday.

 

“Well, you’re looking at two of the best,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper spoke of the two goalies. “You gotta tip your hat to him (Bobrovsky). I thought the biggest saves were the two Vasy made after that save, which at the time could’ve sunk us.”

 

It didn’t take the Panthers long to wrap up the game once overtime came around. Verhaeghe scored the game winner just 2:59 into the first overtime. The Lightning weren’t able to get a shot on goal in the short extra period.

 

 

Game 3 will be on Thursday, April 25 at 7 p.m. ET as the series shifts across the state to Tampa.

 

Panthers Notes 

Sam Bennett left the game in the second period with an injury (upper-body) and did not return. There won’t be any update on his status until Wednesday

 

Vladimir Tarasenko scored his 45th career playoff goal

 

This was the first overtime game of any series in this year’s playoffs

The National Hockey League has released the full schedule for the first-round of the 2024 Stanley Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

 

On Sunday, April 21 at 12:30 p.m. ET, the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning will kick off game 1 of their series in Sunrise. 

 

As the Atlantic Division winners, the Panthers will have home-ice advantage.

 

The two sides played eachother in both the 2021 and 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tampa won both times as the lower seeded team, with the most recent being a four-game sweep in the second-round. 

 

Panthers — Lightning Schedule 

 

Game 1 – Lightning @ Panthers — Sunday, April 21, 12:30 p.m. ET — ESPN, SN, TVAS

 

Game 2 – Lightning @ Panthers — Tuesday, April 23,  7:30 p.m. ET — ESPN2, SN360, TVAS

 

Game 3 –  Panthers @ Lightning —   Thursday, April 25,  7 p.m. ET — TBS, MAX, SN, TVAS 

 

Game 4 – Panthers @ Lightning —    Saturday, April 27,  5 p.m. ET — TBS, truTV, MAX, SNE, SNW, SNP, TVAS

 

Game 5* – Lightning @ Panthers —    Monday, April 29,  TBD

 

Game 6* – Panthers @ Lightning  —   Wednesday, May 1,  TBD

 

Game 7*-  Lightning @ Panthers —    Saturday, May 4,   TBD

 

*If necessary 

 

The winner of the Panthers — Lightning series will move on to face the winner of the Bruins — Maple Leafs series. 

 

All NHL Playoff Matchups

 

EAST:

New York Rangers (M1) vs. Washington Capitals (WC2)

Carolina Hurricanes (M2) vs New York Islanders (M3)

 

Florida Panthers (A1) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (WC1)

 

Boston Bruins (A2) vs Toronto Maple Leafs (A3)

 

WEST:

Vancouver Canucks (P1) vs Nashville Predators (WC1)

 

Edmonton Oilers (P2) vs Los Angeles Kings (P3)

 

Dallas Stars (C1) vs Vegas Golden Knights (WC2)

 

Winnipeg Jets (C2) vs Colorado Avalanche (C3)

A Panthers win and Bruins loss flipped the Atlantic Division on Tuesday, clinching the title for Florida 

 

SUNRISE — The Panthers entered Tuesday night one point behind the Bruins in the race for the Atlantic Division title. They left Amerant Bank Arena as the first seed in the division entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

 

When the Panthers and Leafs went to the dressing room after the first period on Tuesday, it felt like the two sides would see each other in just a few days for the first round of the postseason. 

 

A Toronto win wouldn’t have affected their playoff seeding as they were locked in to the third spot. Florida, on the other hand, had a chance for the division title and they played their full lineup with that in mind. 

 

Toronto did their best to prevent Florida from doing that, leading 2-0 going into the first intermission, while outshooting and outplaying the Panthers.

 

The next 20 minutes was anything but a repeat of the first. 

 

Carter Verhaeghe — who hasn’t played since getting injured on April 1 against the Leafs — got Florida on the board 28 seconds into the second. 

 

Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour all followed suit, The Panthers scored four unanswered goals in the middle frame — outshooting the Leafs 29-4 in the period. 

 

“We didn’t like the way we were playing in the first,” said Verhaeghe. “We knew we had a lot more potential than that… play the right way, play our game and we took it to them.”

 

While Florida flipped the script in their game, the faith of the Atlantic Division still remained in the hands of the Boston Bruins.

 

A Bruins win would have been enough for them to clinch the division, but the Ottawa Senators, a team who hasn’t thought about the playoffs for weeks, spoiled that party. 

 

An empty net goal with 1:48 left in regulation was the icing on the cake for the Senators, as they defeated the Bruins 3-1 in Boston. 

 

Back in Sunrise, the Panthers — Leafs game was about thirty minutes behind the contest in Boston. 

 

With the Bruins not gaining any ground, the Panthers needed just a point to win the division.

 

Entering the third, Florida was up two goals, but the Leafs weren’t going to sit back and hand the Panthers Atlantic — especially with Auston Matthews sitting on 69 goals with just four periods of hockey left in the regular season. 

 

The final period of regulation was more defensive than the opening two. Neither team had too much of an advantage offensively and both goalies kept the puck out of their net.

 

With 2:20 left and Toronto’s net empty, Sam Reinhart potted his 57th goal of the season — wrapping up the game and the division.

 

Florida’s division title sets up a first-round matchup with their cross-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

 

“I just think its super fitting for us to be playing Tampa in the first-round,” Matthew Tkachuk said. “What an unbelievable run they’ve been on since Christmas or All Star Break. They’re playing well, we’re playing well, so I think it’s going to make for a great series.”

 

Boston, who fell to second, will host Toronto in the opening round.

 

Florida lost to the Lightning in consecutive playoff series in 2020-21 and 2021-22 — with the latter being a sweep. Florida didn’t play the Lightning last year on their run to the Stanley Cup Final.

 

With the regular season wrapped up for the Panthers, their attention is now focused on the next task at hand — the postseason.

 

“The regular season isn’t even close to being as much fun [as the playoffs]. This is like a continuous set of Christmas days,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. “You just don’t want the lump of coal man, you just want it to be good and keep going.”

SUNRISE — Two first period goals from Anton Lundell and Nick Cousins was all the Panthers needed in their 2-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators. 

 

Florida completed the season sweep of Ottawa (4-0-0) with the win, outscoring the Senators 16-2. 

 

Anton Lundell scored the game winning goal 12:02 into the contest — his 12th of the season. 

 

The 22-year-old is hitting a groove at the perfect time with the playoffs just around the corner. In his last four games, he has three goals and four points.

 

“I want to do the best when the big games start — that’s next week,” Lundell said on his recent form.  “Just trying to do everything I can, every game and try to play as good as I can.”

 

Anthony Stolarz had 25 saves in his second shutout of the season and picked up a primary assist on Lundell’s game winning goal.

 

On the power play, Stolarz fired a stretch pass from Florida’s zone to Lundell — setting up the Panthers forward on a breakaway. 

 

“He passes hard and you know, he got some patience there,” Lundell said of Stolarz. “We were joking we haven’t seen that pass from even our own D (defenseman) this season.”

 

In his career, Stolarz has four assists — he’s still looking for the goalie goal. 

 

“It’s exciting, I’d like to add a goal to that,” Stolarz laughed when talking about his assist. “At the end of the day the shutouts are the most important thing — kind of like a team stat. We really strive on being a good defensive team.”

 

The victory was an important one, not only for the standings but for morale after the Panthers went 1-2-1 on their last road trip. 

 

With three games left in the regular season, the Panthers remain second in the Atlantic Division with 104 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs trail the Panthers by three points — with a game in hand — for second in the division.

 

“We just finished the most gruelling two weeks, ten game stretch and we were on the road for the tail end of it,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “You just come home to home cooking and everything’s good and you relax.”

 

Florida’s last three games before the post season are at home, with the final contest being against Toronto.

 

 As the standings are now, the Panthers and Leafs would play each other in the first-round.