This game turned into a blowout win for the Lightning, but if not for Andrei Vasilevskiy’s goaltending in the first period, it might have unfolded differently.
The Lightning grabbed a 2-0 lead in the opening frame despite being outplayed. They struggled with turnovers and had difficulty ending Florida cycles in the Tampa Bay end. The Panthers registered 19 first-period shots on net and posted 34 first-period shot attempts. Florida also had a lengthy five-on-three late in the frame. Vasilevskiy stopped all 19 shots, however.
The Lightning produced just seven first-period shots and 14 first-period attempts of their own. But two of those went in. Brandon Hagel deflected a Victor Hedman left-point shot past Daniil Tarasov at 2:08 to open the scoring. Exactly 12 minutes later, Zemgus Girgensons backhanded the puck from the low slot through Tarasov’s pads.
Matthew Tkachuk took an unsportsmanlike conduct minor at the end of the first period, so the Lightning began the second period on the power play. Their PP had struggled against the Panthers, going 0-15 in the first three meetings this year. (It also had problems during last year’s regular season series and playoff matchup.) But the Lightning converted on this opportunity. A Darren Raddysh slapshot led to a rebound goal for Jake Guentzel at 1:14.
The Panthers weren’t able to generate the same level of sustained pressure in the second period as they had in the first. But Vasilevskiy was still sharp in making nine saves. His best came during another Florida power play—he denied a Sam Bennett in-close chance with a left pad stop.
Soon after that penalty ended, the Lightning extended their lead. Tarasov made an initial save on an Erik Cernak shot but couldn’t control the rebound. Cernak tracked it behind the net and attempted a wraparound on the other side of the goal. The puck hit off the stick of Eetu Luostarinen, bounced off Tarasov’s arm, and deflected into the net.
There weren’t any fights in the opening two periods, but that changed in the third. Niko Mikkola took an interference penalty, and the Lightning pulled Vasilevskiy for an extra attacker for the delayed penalty. Then Tkachuk knocked down an unsuspecting Nikita Kucherov, drawing another penalty and inciting a response from the Lightning. Hagel and Tkachuk fought, as did J.J. Moser and Gustav Forsling. Since the Moser-Forsling fight was the second altercation, they were both given game misconducts. The seven other skaters (including Yanni Gourde, who had come onto the ice for Vasilevskiy) were assessed 10-minute misconducts. Florida head coach Paul Maurice also was given a game misconduct.
Due to the two initial interference minors, the Lightning received a two-minute five-on-three. But due to the penalties, they didn’t have four of their usual power-play skaters available: Hagel, Raddysh, Kucherov, and Guentzel. Three seconds after the five-on-three expired, Pontus Holmberg scored from the side of the net. Tarasov appeared to injure himself on a side-to-side move just before the goal. He left the game, and Sergei Bobrovsky replaced him.
On the shift after the goal, Curtis Douglas tried to fight Mikkola, who didn’t reciprocate. Douglas was called for a five-minute fighting major and a game misconduct. The Panthers scored one goal on the major.
Oliver Bjorkstrand finished the scoring when he intercepted a puck in the Florida end and snapped a wrist shot over Bobrovsky’s glove at 15:41.
The Lightning head into the Olympic Break riding a 19-1-1 streak.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
- Andrei Vasilevskiy — Lightning. 33 saves.
- Pontus Holmberg — Lightning. Goal and assist.
- Erik Cernak — Lightning. Goal.
