Panthers Stomped By Lightning In Exhibition Game

     The Florida Panthers were blasted by the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-0 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Wednesday in an exhibition game. It was the first time that Florida played an opponent since March 9 in St. Louis versus the Blues during the 2019-20 regular season. The Panthers will begin their best-of-five Stanley Cup Qualifier Series against the New York Islanders on Saturday.

     Tampa Bay pulled ahead 1-0 with 6:18 left in the first period. Lucas Wallmark turned the puck over in his own left corner. Nikita Kucherov pushed the puck to Ondrej Palat in the inner edge of the right circle and he moved it across to Brayden Point. He faked a wrist shot in the crease, went to his backhand and shot it by Sergei Bobrovsky. 

     The Bolts extended their lead to 2-0 with 4.5 seconds left in the frame. Kevin Shattenkirk angled a pass from his own zone to Point at the Panthers blue line. He skated through the right circle and lifted a wrist shot from the right of the crease. 

     In the second period, the Lightning scored on the power play to make it a three-goal margin. Kucherov traded the puck back-and-forth with Mikhail Sergachev at the of the zone. Kuchervov then ripped a one-time slapshot from the right-circle dot at the 1:52 mark. 

     It became 4-0 for Tampa Bay at 5:13 of the second period. Palat was on the left goal line and passed it back out. Luke Schenn then snapped a shot from the top right circle for a tally. 

     Florida surrendered another goal midway through the third period at the 9:12 mark for a Tampa Bay 5-0 lead. Kucherov raced into the neutral zone and sent it to Point on his right. Point entered the Panthers zone, hustled to the low right circle and made a cross-ice pass. Kucherov finished the play as he tapped in the puck from the left of the blue paint.