- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 447,526
- Reaction score
- 44
TAMPA — Sam Bennett had hurt the Panthers, going to the penalty box for slashing with about 11 minutes left in the second period. The Lightning scored the game-tying goal on the ensuing power play, knotting the game at three.
Bennett went back to the penalty box for slashing with 6:53 left in the period. When he came out, he hit the ice running, received a pass from Anton Lundell and fired a wrist shot past Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to put the Panthers ahead 4-3. It was all Florida needed to beat Tampa Bay, as the Panthers went on to win Game 5 6-3 at Amalie Arena and punch their tickets to the second round of the playoffs.
The Panthers will play the winner of the Ottawa-Toronto series, which is going to Game 6 on Thursday with the Maple Leafs up 3-2.
The Lightning, with their backs against the wall, opened the game with a lot of energy. Conor Geekie landed a big hit on Dmitry Kulikov early in the first period. Minutes later, Gage Goncalves put Tampa Bay on the board first with a short-range shot past Sergei Bobrovsky.
Florida struck back quickly, though. The Panthers went on the power play, and Carter Verhaeghe evened the game when he fired a rebounded Matthew Tkachuk shot past Vasilevskiy. It was the first power-play goal for either team since Game 1.
Lundell put the Panthers ahead halfway through the first period. A pass from Brad Marchand bounced off Lundell’s skate directly in front of Vasilevskiy, giving Florida its first lead of the night. It was short-lived, as Tampa Bay center Nick Paul beat Bobrovsky to tie the game again.
Aleksander Barkov scored his first goal of the postseason 52 seconds into the second period, putting the Panthers ahead by tipping in a shot from the point by Gustav Forsling.
The Panthers’ penalty-kill unit had been dominating the Lightning since Game 1, fending off 15 straight Tampa Bay power plays in the series — until the second period on Wednesday. With Bennett in the penalty box for slashing, Lightning forward Jake Guentzel scored to tie the game at three midway through the period.
But Bennett made up for that power-play goal allowed, giving Florida the lead late in the second period. Eetu Luostarinen, who had four points on Wednesday, scored an insurance goal with 6:58 left in the third period to help secure the series win for the Panthers. Sam Reinhart added a late, empty-net goal to put Florida ahead by three goals.
This story will be updated.
Continue reading...
Bennett went back to the penalty box for slashing with 6:53 left in the period. When he came out, he hit the ice running, received a pass from Anton Lundell and fired a wrist shot past Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to put the Panthers ahead 4-3. It was all Florida needed to beat Tampa Bay, as the Panthers went on to win Game 5 6-3 at Amalie Arena and punch their tickets to the second round of the playoffs.
The Panthers will play the winner of the Ottawa-Toronto series, which is going to Game 6 on Thursday with the Maple Leafs up 3-2.
The Lightning, with their backs against the wall, opened the game with a lot of energy. Conor Geekie landed a big hit on Dmitry Kulikov early in the first period. Minutes later, Gage Goncalves put Tampa Bay on the board first with a short-range shot past Sergei Bobrovsky.
Florida struck back quickly, though. The Panthers went on the power play, and Carter Verhaeghe evened the game when he fired a rebounded Matthew Tkachuk shot past Vasilevskiy. It was the first power-play goal for either team since Game 1.
Lundell put the Panthers ahead halfway through the first period. A pass from Brad Marchand bounced off Lundell’s skate directly in front of Vasilevskiy, giving Florida its first lead of the night. It was short-lived, as Tampa Bay center Nick Paul beat Bobrovsky to tie the game again.
Aleksander Barkov scored his first goal of the postseason 52 seconds into the second period, putting the Panthers ahead by tipping in a shot from the point by Gustav Forsling.
The Panthers’ penalty-kill unit had been dominating the Lightning since Game 1, fending off 15 straight Tampa Bay power plays in the series — until the second period on Wednesday. With Bennett in the penalty box for slashing, Lightning forward Jake Guentzel scored to tie the game at three midway through the period.
But Bennett made up for that power-play goal allowed, giving Florida the lead late in the second period. Eetu Luostarinen, who had four points on Wednesday, scored an insurance goal with 6:58 left in the third period to help secure the series win for the Panthers. Sam Reinhart added a late, empty-net goal to put Florida ahead by three goals.
This story will be updated.
Continue reading...
