Lightning beat Panthers 5-1 to cut series deficit to 2-1
Tampa Bay Lightning center Luke Glendening (11) celebrates his goal with teammates during the third period against the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Rhona Wise)
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 33 shots and the Tampa Bay Lightning came back to beat the Florida Panthers 5-1 Saturday to cut their deficit in the first-round series to 2-1.
Tampa Bay's offense came alive, with goals from Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point, Nick Paul and Luke Glendening. Anthony Cirelli added an empty-netter with five minutes left, and Nikita Kucherov had three assists.
Advertisement
The Lightning will try to even things up in Game 4 on Monday at Sunrise. The Panthers, however, are 5-0 after taking a 2-0 lead in a playoff series.
Paul gave the Lightning their first lead of the series when he slipped a shot just inside the pad of Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in the second period. Guentzel made it a two-goal lead just 21 seconds into the third before the Lightning pulled away later in the period.
Matthew Tkachuk scored for the Panthers, his third of the series. Bobrovsky finished with 17 saves.
Vasilevskiy had given up seven goals in the first two games but was huge on Saturday. He bounced back from an early Panthers punch and withstood a flurry of Florida shots in the second and third.
Advertisement
Tkachuk, who scored twice in the opener, got on the board 2:43 into the game when he tapped a feed from Sam Bennett past Vasilevskiy, giving the star his 20th playoff goal with the Panthers. The Lightning responded when Guentzel's shot bounced off Point and past Bobrovsky later in the first to give the NHL's highest-scoring team in the regular season its first goal in nearly five periods.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4, WILD 3, OT
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Ivan Barbashev scored at 17:26 of overtime and Vegas beat Minnesota in Game 4 to even their first-round playoff series.
Nicolas Roy and Tomas Hertl each had a goal and assist, and Shea Theodore also scored for the Pacific Division champion Golden Knights. Adin Hill made 29 saves.
Advertisement
Marco Rossi, Marcus Foligno and Jared Spurgeon scored for Minnesota. Filip Gustavsson made 42 saves, including a pair of sprawling left pad saves of Reilly Smith's attempts with 3:49 left in regulation.
Game 5 is in Vegas on Tuesday, with Game 6 on Thursday back in Minnesota.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Oilers Raise Concerns About Officiating and Panthers' Actions on Stuart Skinner
Oilers Raise Concerns About Officiating and Panthers' Actions on Stuart Skinner originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As the Stanley Cup Final heads to Florida tied 1-1, frustration is growing in the Edmonton Oilers' camp over the Panthers' repeated contact with goaltender Stuart Skinner. Advertisement After two incidents involving Florida forward Sam Bennett in the crease, Edmonton's defensemen are openly questioning how much physicality is too much and where the NHL will set the line. Bennett comes with a track record this postseason after elbowing Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz in Game 1 of the second round, knocking him out of the playoffs with a concussion. Bennett was involved in collisions with Skinner in Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Game 1 play resulted in a Florida goal, which Edmonton challenged unsuccessfully. While Bennett received a goalie interference penalty in Game 2, the Oilers still feel the standards remain unclear. "You can accidentally drop into (Skinner), but, at one point, enough's got to be enough," Mattias Ekholm said. "I was very surprised the goal in Game 1 stood. Advertisement "But it was good on the refs that they called Bennett on that play (in Game 2)." Skinner briefly required medical attention after the Game 2 collision but was able to finish the game, and the Oilers didn't retaliate. "Being a leader is understanding the situation," Ekholm said about the lack of a physical response by the Oilers. "Not doing that — we actually scored on that power play, which we probably wouldn't have on a four-on-four situation. "It's a fine line. We don't want to take punishment from anybody. I'm not saying that. But you've got to read the situation and be cognizant of, 'Has there been a penalty called? Has there not? What can help our team the most?'" Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett collides with Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm and goaltender Stuart Tychnowicz-Imagn Images Evan Bouchard also acknowledged the challenges of policing the crease while avoiding penalties themselves. Advertisement "There's definitely a fine line," Bouchard said. "They definitely do like to teeter with it." Bennett, meanwhile, didn't believe the Game 2 penalty against him was the right call. 'I was pushed, and then I think the goalie kicked out my heel,' Bennett said. 'So, I didn't agree with that one, but I'll move on from that.' Game 3 begins at 8 p.m. ET Monday in Sunrise, Florida. Related: Sam Bennett's Two-Word Reaction to Stuart Skinner Penalty Question Related: Oilers Coach Sends Clear Message on Stuart Skinner After Game 2 Loss This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Oilers Coach Sends 'Unraveling' Message After Panthers Take 2-1 Finals Lead
Oilers Coach Sends 'Unraveling' Message After Panthers Take 2-1 Finals Lead originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Stanley Cup Final shifted to Sunrise, FL, for Game 3 with the series tied at 1-1, but any sense of balance between both contenders quickly evaporated. Advertisement The Florida Panthers surged to an early lead and never let up, dismantling the Edmonton Oilers 6–1 on Monday night in one of the most lopsided games of the playoffs. The Panthers jumped ahead just 56 seconds into the game thanks to Brad Marchand's opener and slowly widened the gap until Edmonton came unglued midway through the third period. At that point, with the game out of reach, penalties piled up — 140 minutes in total, making it one of the most penalized Stanley Cup Final games in NHL history. Head coach Kris Knoblauch pointed to the context of the blowout when assessing his team's lack of composure. Advertisement 'Definitely the third period was an unraveling,' Knoblauch said after the game. 'It wouldn't have happened if it was a one- or two-goal game. It was boys being boys.' Oilers forward Evander Kane, who was ejected after receiving three minors and a misconduct, chimed in on the loss. 'We didn't play very well. That's evident,' Kane said. 'We have nobody to blame but ourselves. We can definitely be a lot better.' A fight breaks out during the third period between Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers in game three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Rassol-Imagn Images Despite the result, Oilers captain Connor McDavid said Edmonton's best hockey is still ahead. 'Obviously, it wasn't our best,' McDavid said. 'Not our best at all. I don't think our best has shown up all series long, but it's coming.' Advertisement Game 4 is Thursday night in Sunrise, where the Oilers will try to regroup before the Panthers push them to the brink. Related: Oilers Coach Takes Subtle Dig at NHL Referees With Sarcastic Message Related: Oilers' Evander Kane Sounds Off on Unfair Stanley Cup Final Officiating This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Maple Leafs Should Overpay for Mitch Marner Replacement, Claims Analyst
Maple Leafs Should Overpay for Mitch Marner Replacement, Claims Analyst originally appeared on Athlon Sports. With another early playoff exit and a change looming, Sean Avery believes the Toronto Maple Leafs need to make a bold move this summer, starting with letting forward Mitch Marner go once he reaches free agency. Advertisement Avery called for Leafs general manager Brad Treliving to pursue Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett in free agency, even if it means outbidding the market. Speaking on the "JD Bunkis Podcast," Avery said the Leafs must finally commit to reshaping their identity, and Bennett is the type of player who can lead that change. 'All the money that organization has wasted on guys, the least they can do is overpay one guy who is actually going to leave an imprint on the DNA of the organization,' Avery said. 'Even if he plays six of the eight years, it'll be the best money ever spent.' Bennett is entering free agency after scoring 25 goals and 26 assists in the regular season. Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitch Marner (16) follows the play during a game at Scotiabank Turchiaro-Imagn Images The Panthers forward also leads the NHL playoff field with 20 points and has scored 14 goals over 20 postseason games, leading the Panthers to another Stanley Cup Final. Advertisement Bennett is currently in the final year of a four-year, $17.7 million contract with Florida, but he's expected to command a major salary raise in his next deal. Avery's plan might be sound, but according to James Mirtle of The Athletic, odds are that Bennett won't reach free agency at all this summer, opting instead to re-sign with the Panthers. "Sorry to disappoint any fans of teams that need a center — which honestly feels like at least half the league right now — but no one I spoke to around the league expects Sam Bennett to be available," Mirtle wrote. "He likes playing in Florida too much — and the feeling is mutual." According to PuckPedia, the Leafs have $25.7 million of available cap space entering the offseason. Advertisement Related: Connor McDavid's Blunt Take on Sam Bennett's Aggressive Play Related: NHL Insider Links Panthers to Mitch Marner in Bold Pre-Free Agency Move This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.