TAMPA - The Panthers find themselves with their back against the wall after falling behind 3-0 in their second-round series against the Lightning with a 5-1 defeat at Amalie Arena on Sunday.

Making a habit out of clawing their way back from seemingly insurmountable odds during the regular season, the "Comeback Cats" will now look to keep their playoff run alive when they reconvene with their cross-state rival in just over 24 hours for a do-or-die Game 4 on Monday.

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. - The "Comeback Cats" aren't backing down from any deficit.

Trailing 2-0 in their second-round, best-of-7 series, the Panthers are confident that one win can swing momentum back in their favor as they head across the Sunshine State to kick off a back-to-back set on the road against the Lightning starting with Game 3 at Amalie Arena on Sunday.

A post-lunch battle between rivals, puck drop is schedule for 1:30 p.m. ET.

SUNRISE, Fla. - This one stings a bit more than others.

Falling behind 0-2 in their second-round series, the Panthers surrendered a goal with just 3.8 seconds left on the clock to fall to the Lightning 2-1 in Game 2 at FLA Live Arena on Thursday.

SUNRISE, Fla. - The Panthers are more than confident they can even up their second-round playoff series when the Battle of Florida resumes with Game 2 at FLA Live Arena on Thursday.

"We want more intensity, we want to be smarter, we don't want to be in the box as much," Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas said when asked about the keys to bouncing back after this morning's skate. "We've got things to work on. I thought last series we got better as the series went on, so we're looking forward to building and getting better as this one goes on."

SUNRISE, Fla. - The National Hockey League announced today that Florida Panthers Interim Head Coach Andrew Brunette has been named a finalist for the 2021-22 Jack Adams Award, awarded annually "to the coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success."

Brunette, 48, was named interim head coach of the Panthers on October 29, 2021. Under Brunette's tenure, Florida owned a 51-18-6 record and scored a league-leading 306 goals, averaging a league-best 4.08 goals per game. The Panthers 108 points since Oct. 29 tied for second-most among NHL teams and their .720 points percentage ranked third. On home ice under Brunette, Florida led all clubs with 168 goals scored and a 4.67 goals against average, ranking second with 29 wins (29-7-0) and a 29.5% power-play success rate. On the road, Florida's 22 wins tied for fourth and their 138 goals scored were the third-most of any team.

The Panthers finished the season with a league-best 58-18-6 record, earning the franchise's first Presidents' Trophy and third division title. Florida's 58 wins tied for the fifth-most in one season in League history, and their 34 home wins were the third-most ever, behind only the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 1975-76 Philadelphia Flyers (36 each). The Panthers led the NHL in goals scored (337), shots on goal (3,062), comeback wins (29), and set a league record with 13 overtime goals.

From March 29 - April 23, Florida compiled the longest winning streak by a club this season, tied for the seventh-longest in NHL history, earning victories in 13 straight games. The streak marked the most consecutive wins in club history, during which the Panthers outscored opponents 64-33 and averaged a league-leading 4.92 goals and 40.7 shots on goal.

The Sudbury, Ontario native joined the Panthers coaching staff prior to the 2019-20 season after spending seven seasons with the Minnesota Wild organization.

2022 Stanley Cup Playoff single game and suite tickets are available now for Round 2! Join Panthers Territory with a 2022-23 Territory Membership to secure early access to playoff tickets, presale access to the 2023 NHL All-Star game at FLA Live Arena plus other exclusive benefits. Call 954-835-PUCK or visit FloridaPanthers.com/TerritoryMemberships for more information.

The home of the Panthers for the 2021-22 season is FLA Live Arena. Download our exclusive app for mobile ticket entry, cashless ordering and an unforgettable fan experience.

The second entry in the Battle of Florida is underway as the Panthers officially kicked off their second-round playoff series with the cross-state rival Lightning at FLA Live Arena on Tuesday.

On this week's episode of the Territory Talk podcast, co-hosts Doug Plagens and Jameson Olive discuss the outlook of the Sunshine State series, Tampa Bay's win in Game 1 and much more. Plus, Doug continues to show off his skills in the playoff edition of the prediction game.

Highlights of the episode include:

• The Battle of Florida is back. (1:45)

• Power plays, penalty kills and goaltender interference. (9:00)

• Former Vezina Trophy winners standing tall. (15:30)

• Andrew Brunette, Aleksander Barkov and Anthony Duclair talk power play. (19:10)

• Doug is on a roll in the playoff edition of the prediction game. (27:45)

If you'd like new episodes of Territory Talk delivered directly to your phone or inbox each week, click HERE to subscribe to the show on your preferred podcast platform.

As part of Hockey is For Everyone, the Panthers are joining the NHL and NHLPA in celebrating Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month throughout May by shining a well-deserved spotlight on some incredible people from the API community making a positive impact on the organization.

In the first installment of this series, we highlight sushi chef extraordinaire Toshi Sekita.

Toshi Sekita seems to have a smile permanently attached to his face.

As the owner of Kuome Japanese Restaurant in Sunrise, the charismatic chef has been supplying the Panthers with sushi for the last two seasons. From Lounge 954 to suites, his decorative sushi boats have become a staple of the dining experience at FLA Live Arena.

SUNRISE, Fla. - On the wrong side of the special teams battle, the Panthers opened up their Round 2 series with a 4-1 loss to the cross-state rival Lightning at FLA Live Arena on Tuesday.

In the loss, Florida went 0-for-3 on the power play, while Tampa Bay went 3-for-6.

SUNRISE, Fla. - The next chapter of the "Battle for Florida" will get underway when the Panthers and Lightning kick off their second-round series at FLA Live Arena on Tuesday.

Since the 2019-20 season, the Sunshine State foes have faced off 22 times.

"We're in a great position right now," Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said of the series. "We have a great opportunity to do something special. With our group it's all about fun, and this is a fun time of year to be playing. I feel joy and an opportunity to really have some fun."

If the series is anything like what we saw last season, fans will be in for a treat once again.

SUNRISE, Fla. - The National Hockey League announced today that Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov has been named a finalist for the 2021-22 Frank J. Selke Trophy, awarded annually "to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game."

Barkov, 26, appeared in 67 regular season games with Florida in 2021-22, compiling 88 points (39-49-88). Florida's captain led the team with a career-high 39 goals and four shorthanded goals. He ranked second on the team in assists, points, even-strength goals (23-tied), even-strength points (57) and power play goals (12).

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound native of Tampere, Finland, led Florida with a career-high 57% faceoff win percentage this season. Barkov's 47 road points (23-24-47) were the most in one season in franchise history, leading the Panthers to their best overall record (58-18-6) and road record (24-11-6) in franchise history. This season, Barkov surpassed Olli Jokinen as the Panthers all-time leader in goals (220) and game-winning goals (38).

Originally selected in the first round (second overall) by Florida in the 2013 NHL Draft, Barkov was named the recipient of the Selke Trophy following the 2020-21 season, becoming the first Panthers skater to win the award. He had previously been awarded the 2018-19 Lady Byng Trophy, given annually "to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."

Barkov is the second member of the Florida Panthers to be named a finalist for Frank J. Selke Trophy following Brian Skrudland in 1993-94, and he is the first to be named a finalist in multiple seasons.

2022 Stanley Cup Playoff single game and suite tickets are available now for Round 2! Join Panthers Territory with a 2022-23 Territory Membership to secure early access to playoff tickets, presale access to the 2023 NHL All-Star game at FLA Live Arena plus other exclusive benefits. Call 954-835-PUCK or visit FloridaPanthers.com/TerritoryMemberships for more information.

The home of the Panthers for the 2021-22 season is FLA Live Arena. Download our exclusive app for mobile ticket entry, cashless ordering and an unforgettable fan experience.