The Florida Panthers scored twice in the final minutes of the third period Monday to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2, taking a 3-1 lead in their first-round NHL Playoffs series. The Panthers overcame a one-goal deficit late in the game after seeing a potential tying goal overturned earlier in the period.
Tampa Bay had taken a 2-1 lead in the second period with two goals scored 11 seconds apart by Mitchell Chaffee and Erik Cernak. The Panthers also faced a five-minute penalty kill early in the third period after defenseman Niko Mikkola received a game misconduct.
Despite these setbacks, the Panthers maintained composure. Veteran forward Brad Marchand stated, "You’re in the moment... The best athletes just worry about what is in their ability to control."
The crucial penalty kill helped shift momentum back to Florida. Forward Anton Lundell, who scored Florida's first goal, called the penalty kill "huge." Coach Paul Maurice agreed, adding, "It started with the kill."
Florida's first attempt to tie the game, a power-play goal by Aaron Ekblad in the third, was erased after a coach's challenge for offside by Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper.
Ekblad later scored the tying goal with less than four minutes remaining in regulation. Just 11 seconds later, defenseman Seth Jones scored the game-winning goal, a shot that deflected past Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The rally gave Florida the win and positioned them one game away from advancing to the second round. Captain Aleksander Barkov summarized the end of the game, saying, "A lot of things happened, obviously, at the end in a good way for us."
In other NHL Playoffs action Monday, the Dallas Stars defeated the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 to take a 3-2 series lead in their Western Conference First Round matchup. Mark Lazerus reported on the game, noting key moments including a late-period penalty and goaltending performances.
The Panthers can close out their series Wednesday in Tampa.
Marchand noted the team's experience, saying, "When you go to the Finals multiple years in a row, you gain a lot of experience... you can just tell... they’re just really good pros in this room."
