Panthers defeat Lightning, take 3-0 series lead

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.”