Lightning take 48 shots on goal, hold on to defeat Panthers

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves and came within 2:00 of his first shutout of the season, and Steven Stamkos scored for the Lightning (15-11-3), who lost to the New York Islanders 5-1 on Monday.

"It was a great effort," Killorn said. "It was a game where we seemed like we played pretty consistent all the way through. I'm really happy with the way we played once we got the lead. It didn't seem like we sat back at all. It seemed like we even elevated our game a little bit more. On a back to back like that when we're traveling, pretty impressed with the way the guys played."

[WATCH: All Lightning vs. Panthers highlights]

Sergei Bobrovsky made 46 saves for the Panthers (15-10-5), who won three of the first four games of their nine-game homestand.

Tampa Bay outshot Florida 48-28, including 34-15 in the final two periods. The 48 shots matched Tampa Bay's season high and were the most allowed by Florida.

"It's one of those nights where you're trying to get something going," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. "We didn't have much, whether it was pace or possession. They played it like it was one of the biggest games of the year for them. It was a good measuring stick for us to meet that type of challenge. It was a most important game. It's a learning curve, and we have to be better and expect a much better performance from our team. We have to match that emotion."

Stamkos gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead at 6:42 of the first period with his fourth goal in three games. After taking a pass from Killorn, he scored from the crease with a backhand-to-forehand deke.

Video: TBL@FLA: Stamkos slides opening goal past Bobrovsky

Killorn made it 2-0 at 4:51 of the second period with a backhand rebound after Bobrovsky stopped Anthony Cirelli's shot from the slot. It was Killorn's fourth goal in his past five games; he has nine this season.

"He's a guy that plays the game the right way and he's getting rewarded for that," Stamkos said. "He's a big body (6-foot-1, 197 pounds), he can control the play, he's got a great shot and he's just smart on the ice. He knows where to go and where to be and it's nice to see him producing. He's a big part of our team."

Brett Connolly appeared to score for the Panthers at 11:09 of the third period, but the goal was disallowed after video review determined he deflected the puck above the crossbar.

Dadonov scored at 18:00 to make it 2-1.

Video: TBL@FLA: Dadonov pushes home trickling puck

Florida was 0-for-3 on the power play after going 4-for-11 its previous three games.

"It was tough," Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau said. "They're a good team and I don't think we were ready tonight. I feel like they were all over us, and it just can't happen, especially at home and against [an Atlantic Division] team. We need these points. It wasn't our night. They outshot us almost double and we let [Bobrovsky] be by himself, and he played a really good game for us."

They said it

"In the last few games, the guys have been committed. It's been tough because we haven't been getting some points we felt we should have. We definitely felt we should get points tonight. The key was to make sure we were a little greedy and got two and not give up one, and that's what happened tonight." -- Lightning coach Jon Cooper

"This one stinks. It was a big game. It was a really big game, not just for me personally but for our team and where we are in the standings (third) and where they are in the standings (fifth) in our division. That was a tough one." -- Panthers defenseman Anton Stralman, who played for the Lightning the previous five seasons

Need to know

Tampa Bay had 48 shots in a 3-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 23. ... Every Tampa Bay skater had at least one shot on goal. ... Stamkos has 33 goals against Florida, his most again any opponent. His second-highest total is 29 against the Winnipeg Jets. ... Florida was held to its fewest goals in 16 home games. ... Bobrovsky has stopped 109 of 113 shots in the past three games (.965 save percentage). 

What's next

Lightning: Host the Boston Bruins on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, SNP, TVAS, SUN, NESN, NHL.TV)

Panthers: Host the New York Islanders on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; FS-F, MSG+, NHL.TV)

Video: Stamkos, Killorn score in 2-1 victory vs. Panthers