Panthers Top Lightning

     The Florida Panthers were able to complete the home-and-home sweep with a 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night at BB&T Center. Roberto Luongo compiled his 407th career win which tied Glenn Hall for eighth all-time in wins by a goalie. He also collected his 69th career save which leads all active goalies.The Lightning are winless in four of their last five games.
     There was no scoring in the first two periods between both squads. Florida(8-7-3) dominated the first two minutes of the game as they kept the puck in the Lightning zone during that entire time and outshot them 3-0. The rest of the first period belonged to Tampa Bay(8-9-3) as they went on a 13-1 run with shots on goal in the last 18 minutes of play.
     It would come down to the last minute of the third period when Aaron Ekblad fluttered a shot from the top of the zone which deflected off Victor Hedman and into the top of the net with 20.2 seconds left. It was the latest tie-breaking goal by a Florida Panthers since Kristian Huselias on March 28, 2002. He also became the first NHL player to score a tying or go-ahead goal in the final minute of consecutive games since Dany Heatley did it for the Atlanta Thrashers in March 2003. Ekblad, who now has a four-game point streak, scored a tying game two nights ago against the Lightning with 43 seconds left in regulation.