Sergei Bobrovsky manufactured 26 will save, Matthew Tkachuk scored twice and the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 on Thursday night time to take a 3- lead in the very first-round playoff collection.
Brandon Montour, Sam Reinhart and Steven Lorentz also scored for the Panthers, who will seek out a sweep Saturday night time in Tampa.
Tkachuk experienced a initial-period of time target and additional an empty-netter with 32 seconds still left.
Steven Stamkos, Tyler Motte and Nicholas Paul scored for Tampa Bay, with Paul reducing it to 4-3 with 5:10 left. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 26 pictures.
Montour gave Florida a 3-2 direct on a blue-line shot with 3:30 left in the 2nd, with Lorentz generating it a two-objective activity from the slot at 9:41 of the third.
After withstanding numerous minutes of sustained pressure at the defensive stop, Florida tied it at 2 on Reinhart’s goal at 9:58 of the next.
Stamkos scored 44 seconds into the 2nd just before Motte place Tampa Bay up 2-1 just 2:12 later. The 34-yr-previous Stamkos is the ninth player 34 or more mature to score in each and every of his team’s very first three playoff game titles, and the initially since San Jose’s Patrick Marleau in 2014.
30-two seconds immediately after the Panthers killed off Tampa Bay’s 2nd electrical power participate in, Tkachuk opened the scoring halfway by means of the initially.
Tkachuk turned the 12th US-born participant to have 20 postseason targets in 50 or video games or less. The checklist also consists of his father, Keith Tkachuk.
Tampa Bay appeared to tie it with 18 seconds left in the very first, but Anthony Cirelli’s aim on the Lightning’s third electricity enjoy was disallowed pursuing a online video evaluate observed the engage in was offside.
The Lightning, with the NHL’s best common-time electricity play, went for 4. Florida did not have a energy perform.
With Florida forwards Sam Bennett (shot off hand) and Ryan Lomberg (health issues) out, appropriate wing Kyle Okposo was inserted into the lineup and experienced an aid in his initially playoff activity due to the fact 2016.
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