The Tampa Bay Lightning got revenge with a 6-1 victory over the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center on Saturday night. The Lightning have won seven of their last eight games. Both clubs will face each other for a third straight time on Monday night in Tampa.
Florida(8-2-2) wore their new retro jerseys for the first time this season. It was the first time the Panthers had the leaping cat logo since the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs and primary navy blue uniforms since 2011. They will wear the retro jerseys in four more home games this year.
The Panthers finished off their longest homestand of the 2020-21 regular season which was six games. Their record during the long homestand was 3-2-1.
After no scoring during the first period, Tampa Bay(10-2-1) got up 1-0 on a power-play goal at the 4:11 mark of the second period. Mikhail Sergachev made a pass from the left circle to Victor Hedman at the top of the zone. He angled a pass to the top right circle and Ondrej Palat powered a slap shot by Sergei Bobrovsky for his sixth goal of the season. Sergachev now has five assists in the last three games and Sergachev has five assists in the last four.
It became 2-0 for the Lightning a little over a minute later at 5:32. Mathieu Joseph got the loose puck outside of the Panthers blue line and went on a breakaway. He skated in and scored on a backhand shot. Joseph has compiled three goals in the last three contests.
The Bolts expanded their lead to 3-0 with 7:02 remaining in the second. Gemel Smith carried the puck down into the right corner, centered it and Tyler Johnson released a snap shot from the slot area. Smith was making his season debut with the Lightning.
Tampa Bay increased it to a four-goal gap with 10.4 seconds left in the frame. Jan Rutta took a shot from the right wing that went off the skate of Palat in the top of the crease. It caromed to Johnson at the right of the crease and he backhanded it into the cage for his second goal of the game and third tally of the campaign.
Florida broke the shutout with 10:13 to go in the third period. Brett Connolly sent a diagonal pass from the right point and Frank Vatrano rifled a slap shot from the left circle for his second straight game with a goal. Eetu Luostarinen was credited with a secondary assist on the play.
The Lightning responded with 9:02 left to make it 5-1. Joseph connected a pass down the left wing to Smith. He made a cross-ice pass from the left circle and Alexander Volkov scored on a wrist shot from the low right circle for his first goal this season.
The rout continued for Tampa Bay with 4:15 remaining as they added another goal for a 6-1 lead. Yanni Gourde found Barclay Goodrow ahead on a lead pass. Goodrow skated through the slot and snapped a shot for a five-goal Lightning margin.
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