Lightning win Game 4, avoid series sweep to Panthers

TAMPA —  The Tampa Bay Lightning prevented a series sweep, defeating the Panthers 6-3 on Saturday night at Amalie Arena.

The Panthers hold a 3-1 series lead, with Game 5 coming up in Sunrise on Monday.

For the first time in the series, the Lightning were able to strike first in the game. 

On their second power play in the first period, captain Steven Stamkos scored his fourth goal of the series at the 8:54 mark of the frame. 

Stamkos leads the Lightning in scoring this postseason. 

After not getting a power play in Game 3, the Panthers went to the man-advantage for the first time in two games 10:18 into the first.

The lack of power play time from the previous game showed on their first attempt on Saturday.

A poor attempt on the power play by the Panthers turned into a great chance the other way for the Lightning. 

12:09 into the period, Brandon Hagel led a shorthanded rush and fired a long writster over Sergei Bobrovsky, giving the Lightning their first two-goal lead of the series.

It was Tampa’s day in the first. Less than three minutes after Hagel made it 2-0, Brayden Point cashed in on a wrap-around for a third unanswered goal. 

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Florida was held scoreless in the opening period for the first time in the playoffs. 

Down three to start the third, the Panthers needed the next goal if they wanted to make up any ground after getting blown out in the first.

Luckily for them, Carter Verhaeghe doesn’t play for the Lightning anymore.

Verhaeghe finally got the Panthers on the board, scoring his third goal of the series 4:17 into the second — cutting Tampa’s lead to 3-1. 

Florida had some momentum after getting their first of the game, but it would only last a few minutes as Brandon Hagel scored his second goal of the game, 9:40 into the second. 

Down three again, the Panthers weren’t going down without a fight.

90 seconds after Hagel’s goal, Sam Reinhart cut the Lightning lead in half again — scoring his 60th goal of the year (regular season + playoffs). 

The Panthers comeback train kept on moving and they would make it a one-goal game before the period ended. 

With the Panthers moving in transition, Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson jumped up in the rush, burying his first playoff goal since the 2020 playoffs.

Less than five minutes after the Lightning went up three, the Panthers closed the gap to one and would head into the second intermission that way.

If there was one Lightning skater who impressed the most in this series, it would have to be Steven Stamkos. 

The Bolts captain started the scoring for them in the first and he would score an important cushion goal in the third. 

Stamkos sniped his second of the night, fifth of the series, past Bobrovsky with 10:26 to go in regulation, putting the Lightning up  5-3.

Nick Paul would seal the game, scoring on a 5-on-3 advantage for Tampa’s sixth goal of the night.

Game Notes 

Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev played in his first game since fracturing his tibia and fibula on Feb. 7 against the New York Rangers. Sergachev said he found out on Friday that he could be playing in Saturday’s Game 4.

“Honestly, I couldn’t really sleep last night,” Sergachev said. “It felt like a first NHL game.”

The Panthers went to the penalty kill five times on Saturday, conceding twice. Through four games in the series, they’ve had to kill off 17 penalties (13/17 on the PK) — compared to their nine power plays (2/9 on PP).

Game 5 will be in Sunrise, Florida will have another chance to win the series, this time at home.