Panthers Had the Perfect Three-Word Reaction After Eliminating Lightning
The Florida Panthers closed out their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 6-3 road win in Game 5 on Wednesday night, eliminating their in-state rival for the second year in a row.
Eetu Luostarinen earned the first star of the game after recording four points (one goal, three assists) in the win, and Florida advanced to the second round for the fourth consecutive postseason.
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Minutes after the final horn, the Panthers posted a clever three-word message on X:
'Clear skies ahead.'
The caption was paired with an image of a panther holding a crystal bottle containing a lightning bolt—a clear jab at Tampa's early exit and a play on the phrase 'lightning in a bottle.'
Tampa Bay opened the scoring on Wednesday, but the Panthers tied the game less than three minutes later while taking the lead barely ten minutes into the first period.
Both teams exchanged goals up to a 3-3 scoreline before Sam Bennett, Luostarinen, and Sam Reinhart scored three unanswered goals for the Panthers, effectively sealing their win and clinching the series.
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Coach Paul Maurice spoke highly of both teams after the game, noting the intensity of the all-Florida matchup.
"Two teams right in their prime, very competitive men,' Maurice said. 'Tampa has had success, so it got nasty this year because of the playoffs last year and the fact that we're rivals, but we're also in the same place with our teams ... legitimate teams."
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) and Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) battle for the puck at Amerant Bank Arena.Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The defending champions have now eliminated Tampa in back-to-back playoffs as the Panthers try to make a third consecutive run toward the Stanley Cup Final.
'They have an exceptional team,' Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. 'It was our turn (from 2020 to 2022). Now, it's theirs.'
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Florida will face either the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Ottawa Senators in the second round. Toronto leads that series 3–2 with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday night.
Related: Lightning Coach's Immediate Reaction to Series Loss to Panthers
Related: NHL Announces Multigame Suspension After Panthers-Lightning
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