The Florida Panthers edged the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-5 in overtime during Game 3 of the Central Division first round on Thursday night at Amalie Arena. The Panthers have closed the series to 2-1 and both clubs will meet again in Tampa on Saturday. Keith Yandle, who currently has played in 922 consecutive regular season games, was scratched by the Panthers and did not play.
Florida moved in front 1-0 at the 4:31 mark of the first period. Owen Tippett made an outlet pass through the neutral zone. Jonathan Huberdeau sent a diagonal pass from the left wing and Sam Bennett one-timed a backhanded shot from the inner right circle by Andrei Vasilevskiy. It was Bennett's 12th career postseason goal and his third point of the series.
The Panthers extended their lead to 2-0 at 7:05. Huberdeau won a faceoff in the left circle and shuffled the puck to Gustav Forsling on the left point. Radko Gudas had his initial shot from the right point blocked by Ondrej Palat, but he got to the puck and he burned his former team on a wrist shot from the right-circle dot. It was his first Stanley Cup Playoff goal in 23 postseason games.
Tampa Bay cut it 2-1 just 1:57 into the second period. Alex Killorn recovered the puck in the left corner on a Panthers turnover and backed it to Victor Hedman at the left point. His snap shot was saved by Chris Driedger, however Anthony Cirelli scooped in the rebound from the top of the crease. It was Cirelli's seventh career playoff goal. and first tally in the last 29 games.
The Lightning tied the contest 2-2 at 5:46. Ross Colton got to the loose puck in the left corner, went to the low right circle and roofed a snap shot. Colton, who is in his rookie season, scored his first playoff goal.
The Bolts put in their third unanswered goal at the 7:38 mark. Ryan McDonagh intercepted a pass at the red line and brought it to the left side of the Florida zone. He sent a cross-ice pass from the left wing and Steven Stamkos redirected it in from the low slot. Stamkos collected his second tally of the series and 26th career postseason goal.
Florida got a power-play goal with 7:26 remaining in the second to even it at 3-3. MacKenzie Weegar was at the top of the zone and angled a pass to his right. Alex Wennberg released a wrist shot from above the right circle. It was the fifth postseason goal for Wennberg.
It became a 4-3 game for Tampa Bay with 5:43 left in the frame as they converted on the power play with a set piece. Stamkos passed from the left wing to Hedman at the blue line and he sent it to Nikita Kucherov in the right circle. He fed the puck to the slot area and Brayden Point blasted a one-time slap shot from the slot area.
The Lightning scored on another power-play opportunity with 1:43 to go in the third to make it a two-goal margin. Point pushed the puck back from the top right circle to Hedman in the high slot. His lead pass was eventually put in the cage by Killorn at the top of the crease.
The Bolts set a franchise playoff record with five goals in a period. After the second period ended, Driedger was replaced in goal by Sergei Bobrovsky.
In the third period, the Panthers trailed 5-4 with a power-play goal at the 1:45 mark. Aleksander Barkov forwarded the puck from the left point. Huberdeau put a shot on net and it was deflected off the right skate of Patric Hornqvist in the blue paint. It was the third assist for Huberdeau in the contest.
Florida stayed alive and tied it 5-5 with 3:07 left in the third. Hornqvist touched the puck in the right corner and Wennberg made an outlet pass to the middle of the zone. Forsling snapped a shot from the high slot for his first career playoff goal.
Game 3 was decided in overtime as Florida picked up the victory at the 5:56 mark. Frank Vatrano guided the puck to Ryan Lomberg at the Lightning blue line. He went in on a breakaway and scored on a snap shot from the low slot for his first playoff goal. It was the Panthers first overtime playoff goal since Mike Hough scored against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 5 the 1996 Eastern Conference Semifinals in double overtime.
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