Verhaeghe scores OT winner, Panthers take 2-0 series lead

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