Panthers Pay Back Lightning

     The Florida Panthers outscored the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-4 at Amalie Arena on Monday night. It concluded a three-game set between both teams in which the Panthers were victorious in two of the three games against the defending Stanley Cup Champions. 

     The Panthers won in Tampa for the first time since March 6, 2016. They were winless in their last eight games at Amalie Arena going 0-5-3. 

     Tampa Bay(10-3-1) jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 6:24 mark of the first period. Ondrej Palat centered it from the end wall to Erik Cernak in the right circle. He made a cross-ice pass and Steven Stamkos drilled a one-time slap shot from the right circle past Chris Driedger for his eighth goal of the season. 

     Florida(9-2-2) quickly came back to tie it 1-1 at 7:56. Patric Hornqvist dumped the puck around the left-corner boards and got to it first before Curtis McElhinney. He sent it to the top of the crease and Jonathan Huberdeau put in a forehand shot into an open net. Huberdeau passed Pavel Bure for fourth all-time in franchise history with his 153rd career goal. 

     In the second period, the Panthers took the lead 2-1 almost five minutes in. Owen Tippett got his first goal of the year on an assist by Eetu Luostarinen. It resulted in Luostrarinen to increase his point streak to three games. 

     The Cats were awarded a penalty shot at the 8:27 mark. Frank Vatrano went through the slot and snapped a shot by the stick side of McElhinney for his third straight contest with a goal. 

     Anthony Duclair finally got his first goal with his new team with 9:37 remaining in the second for a Panthers 4-1 lead. Aleksander Barkov poked the puck out of his defensive zone to the red line. Duclair raced down the left wing, behind the Lightning cage and scored a wraparound shot. Barkov passed Olli Jokinen with his 420th NHL point for fourth all-time in Florida Panthers franchise history. 

     The Bolts cut it down to 4-2 with 8:18 to go. Alexander Volkov picked up the puck at his own blue line and sprinted down the left side. He reached the left circle and put in a snap shot. 

     It became a three-goal margin for Florida again with 7:24 left. Vatrano sent a diagonal pass into the Tampa Bay zone. Barkov cut through the right circle, got to the left of the crease and lifted a wrist shot for his fifth goal of the campaign. 

     The Lightning compiled two goals in less than a minute and trailed 5-4. Volkov made a high wrist shot from the crease area with 4:10 to go and Tyler Johnson got a tally on a 2-on-1 breakaway with 3:22 remaining. 

     The Cats expanded it to 6-4 just 59 seconds into the third period. Anton Stralman got the goal on assists by Huberdeau and Radko Gudas.