3 Keys: Lightning at Panthers, Game 2 of Eastern Second Round
Florida hopes for split at home, 0-for-21 on power play in playoffs
The Florida Panthers don't want to repeat history in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Tampa Bay Lightning at FLA Live Arena on Thursday.
Following a 4-1 defeat in Game 1 on Tuesday, the Panthers know they can't afford to open the best-of-7 series with two straight home losses to the Lightning again. Florida never recovered after dropping the first two games at home to Tampa Bay in the 2021 Stanley Cup First Round and lost in six games.
"Hopefully we learned from last year," Panthers coach Andrew Brunette said. "To be honest, you take a little of the nastiness away. It was very similar to our Game 1 last year where we thought we were playing really well, and we took an undisciplined penalty and then we chased the game and we let that game go."
Like their 5-4 win in Game 1 last season, the Lightning took advantage of the Panthers' undisciplined play by scoring three power-play goals Tuesday, so Florida is determined to take fewer penalties after giving Tampa Bay six power plays.
"We want to get better in every aspect that we had last game," Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas said. "We want to have better intensity. We want to be smarter. We don't want to be in the box as much. We've got things to work on and I thought we did last series (against the Washington Capitals). We got better as the series went on, so we're looking for building and getting better as this one goes on as well."
The Lightning have won three straight games since falling behind 3-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, but the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions aren't taking anything for granted.
"I think we learned our lesson pretty quick there in Round One when we don't come out and we expected things instead of going out there and making them happen," Lightning forward Steven Stamkos said. "Credit to our group. We regrouped pretty quick and, when our backs were against the wall, we responded. Last game was a great start to the series for us."
Teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series are 339-52 (86.7 percent), including 84-20 (80.8 percent) when starting the series on the road.
Here are 3 keys for Game 2:
1. Get to the net
The Lightning scored three goals in Game 1 by simply getting pucks to the net. Two came off rebounds on goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Anthony Cirelli provided a helpful screen in front on the other.
The Panthers want to take a similar approach against goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy in Game 2 after he stopped 33 of 34 shots in Game 1.
"He's a great goalie. Everyone knows him," Florida captain Aleksander Barkov said. "Just like everyone else, just put a lot of pucks there. Go there and (get) rebounds and get in the greasy areas. Get those greasy goals. That's what it's all about."
2. Find another level
Game 1 was more reserved than some expected after the Lightning and Panthers each came off emotional first-round series. Each team had 30 hits, down from Florida's average of 44.87 hits per 60 minutes in the first round and Tampa Bay's 41.91.
Some of that was the usual regression that occurs during a playoff grind. But after the Lightning and Panthers spent much of Game 1 feeling each other out, expect the intensity from their rivalry to pick up. The team channels that emotion better could have an advantage.
"When we play each other this often, things get really hyped up, but every single game isn't going to be the game of the century," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "So (it's) two teams that want to win and are trying to navigate their way through this. … I expect as every series goes, the longer and deeper they go, the more the intensity builds."
3. Power shift
The Lightning outscored the Panthers 3-0 on the power play in Game 1 and that proved to be the difference. In addition to providing a reminder about the importance of discipline, it put the focus again on Florida's power-play drought, which is 0-for-21 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Panthers got away with going 0-for-18 with the man-advantage in the first round, but probably won't be able to do something similar against the Lightning.
Lightning projected lineup
Anthony Cirelli -- Steven Stamkos -- Nikita Kucherov
Ondrej Palat -- Nicholas Paul -- Alex Killorn
Brandon Hagel -- Ross Colton -- Corey Perry
Pat Maroon -- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
Victor Hedman -- Erik Cernak
Ryan McDonagh -- Jan Rutta
Mikhail Sergachev -- Cal Foote
Zach Bogosian
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Brian Elliott
Scratched: Riley Nash
Injured:Brayden Point (leg)
Panthers projected lineup
Carter Verhaeghe -- Aleksander Barkov -- Claude Giroux
Jonathan Huberdeau -- Sam Bennett -- Anthony Duclair
Noel Acciari -- Anton Lundell -- Sam Reinhart
Ryan Lomberg -- Eetu Luostarinen -- Patric Hornqvist
Ben Chiarot -- Aaron Ekblad
Gustav Forsling -- MacKenzie Weegar
Brandon Montour -- Radko Gudas
Sergei Bobrovsky
Spencer Knight
Scratched:Petteri Lindbohm, Joe Thornton, Lucas Carlsson, Maxim Mamin, Robert Hagg, Jonas Johansson
Injured:Markus Nutivaara (undisclosed), Mason Marchment (lower body)
Status report
The Lightning did not hold a morning skate. ... Point, a center, will not play, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said Wednesday. ... The Lightning could dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen like they did in Game 1. ... Verhaeghe will be a game-time decision with "bumps and bruises," Panthers coach Andrew Brunette said, after the forward left the morning skate early. If Verhaeghe cannot play, Mamin would enter the lineup on the top line with Barkov and Giroux.
