Matthews Tkachuk scores twice, Florida Panthers beat Tampa Bay Lightning

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves, Matthew Tkachuk scored twice and the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 on Thursday night time to take a 3-0 lead within the first-round playoff sequence.

Brandon Montour, Sam Reinhart and Steven Lorentz additionally scored for the Panthers, who will search a sweep Saturday night time in Tampa.

Tkachuk had a first-period purpose and added an empty-netter with 32 seconds left.

“We’re taking part in some good hockey proper now, and we’re pleased with the place we’re at proper now within the sequence,” Tkachuk mentioned. “The fourth (win) is the toughest, everybody says that, so we’ve got to return out completely able to go on Saturday.”

Steven Stamkos, Tyler Motte and Nicholas Paul scored for Tampa Bay, with Paul slicing it to 4-3 with 5:10 left. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 26 photographs.

“It’s robust if you get in conditions like this what you’re going to say proper at this second (to the group),” Lightning coach Jon Cooper mentioned. “However the discuss is you need the believers to point out as much as the rink tomorrow. And should you’re not going to imagine, then you definately don’t have to return. Nicely see what number of guys present up tomorrow.”

Montour gave Florida a 3-2 lead on a blue-line shot with 3:30 left within the second, with Lorentz making it a two-goal sport from the slot at 9:41 of the third.

After withstanding a number of minutes of sustained stress on the defensive finish, Florida tied it at 2 on Reinhart’s purpose at 9:58 of the second.

Stamkos scored 44 seconds into the second earlier than Motte put Tampa Bay up 2-1 simply 2:12 later. The 34-year-old Stamkos is the ninth participant 34 or older to attain in every of his group’s first three playoff video games, and the primary since San Jose’s Patrick Marleau in 2014.

“I believed we performed most likely one of the best 10 minutes of the sequence proper there,” Stamkos mentioned of the primary half of the second. “We had been controlling the play. Then, it’s simply little errors which are made are costing us.”

Stamkos additionally had six hits and made a nifty block on Vladimir Tarasenko’s empty-net strive.

Thirty-two seconds after the Panthers killed off Tampa Bay’s second energy play, Tkachuk opened the scoring halfway via the primary.

Tkachuk turned the twelfth U.S.born participant to have 20 postseason targets in 50 or video games or fewer. The listing additionally consists of his father, Keith Tkachuk.

Tampa Bay appeared to tie it with 18 seconds left within the first, however Anthony Cirelli’s purpose on the Lightning’s third energy play was disallowed following a video evaluation discovered the play was offside.

The Lightning, with the NHL’s prime regular-season energy play, went 0 for 4. Florida didn’t have an influence play.

I believed the massive story might be penalty killing,” Florida coach Paul Maurice mentioned. “It’s simply such a dominant, extremely expert, energy play.”

With Florida forwards Sam Bennett (shot off hand) and Ryan Lomberg (sickness) out, proper wing Kyle Okposo, acquired from Buffalo in March, was inserted into the lineup and had an help in his first playoff sport since 2016.

“It’s only a particular feeling,” Okposo mentioned.

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