Panthers Game 3 projected lines and updates from Tampa

TAMPA — The Florida Panthers had nearly full attendance at morning skate on Thursday ahead of Game 3 against the Lightning.

The Panthers come into Tampa holding a 2-0 series lead after winning both home games to begin the first-round. 

Here’s tonight’s projected lines and a few lineup updates from Amalie Arena. 

Projected Panthers lines

Vladimir Tarasenko — Aleksander Barkov — Sam Reinhart

Carter Verhaeghe — Anton Lundell — Matthew Tkachuk

Eetu Luostarinen — Kevin Stenlund — Evan Rodrigues

Nick Cousins — Steven Lorentz — Kyle Okposo

Gustav Forsling — Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola — Brandon Montour

Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Dmitry Kulikov

Sergei Bobrovsky (Confirmed Starter)

Anthony Stolarz

Projected Lightning lines

Anthony Duclair — Brayden Point — Nikita Kucherov

Brandon Hagel — Anthony Cirelli — Steven Stamkos

Michael Eyssimont — Nicholas Paul — Mitchell Chaffee

Tyler Motte — Luke Glendening

Victor Hedman — Darren Raddysh

Matt Dumba — Erik Cernak

Emil Lilleberg — Max Crozier

Calvin de Haan

Andrei Vasilevskiy (Projected starter)

Matt Tomkins

Panthers Updates

Ryan Lomberg (illness) will miss his second straight game. He didn’t skate on Thursday. 

“We need a window with him not being around the guys but feeling good,” said head coach Paul Maurice. 

Lomberg did make the trip, but he didn’t fly with the team. 

The Panthers announced on Wednesday that Sam Bennett (upper-body), is out “at least a week”.

Anton Lundell slides up to center line 2, Kevin Stenlund to line 3 and Steven Lorentz will center the fourth line. 

Kyle Okposo will draw into his first playoff game since 2016 when he was with the Islanders. 

“The appreciation for the game grows as you get older… They (older players) have a greater appreciation for this,” Maurice said of Okposo. “He’s got this kind of smile that I can’t describe. He’s very excited about the game, he will relish the opportunity.”

The least shocking news out of Tampa today was Florida’s starting goalie, it will beSergei Bobrovsky.

Puck drop will be 7 p.m. ET on Bally Sports Florida in the Panthers region, Bally Sports Sun in the Lightning region. Nationally the game will be available on TBS and MAX.