Panthers Get By Lightning In Game 2

     The Florida Panthers outhustled the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in overtime in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday night. The Panthers lead the best-of-seven series 2-0. Game 3 will be played on Thursday in Tampa. 

     The Cats won their 11th consecutive overtime playoff game. The Bolts lost their sixth straight playoff overtime contest. 

     Florida leaped out to a 1-0 lead at the 6:16 mark of the first period. Sam Bennett centered the puck from the end wall and Matthew Tkachuk took a soft shot from the crease area which was saved by Andrei Vasilevskiy. Bennett scored on a backhand shot from the slot area. 

     The Panthers expanded to 2-0 with 4:48 remaining in the first on a power-play tally. Oliver Ekman-Larsson fired a slap shot from above the left circle and was saved. Bennett made a square pass from the top of the crease and Vladimir Tarasenko scored on a snap shot from the right of the crease. 

     Tampa Bay got back in the contest 48 seconds into the second period and cut it to 2-1. Victor Hedman sent a pass from the left point. Former Panther Anthony Duclair ripped a shot from the right point and it was deflected in by Brayden Point past Sergei Bobrovsky.

     The Lightning tied it up 2-2 with the man advantage at the 5:46 mark. Nikita Kucherov angled a pass from the right wing to the top of the zone. Hedman pushed the puck to his left and Steven Stamkos blasted a one-time slap shot from the left-circle dot for his second goal of the postseason. 

     In overtime, Florida got the goal-winning goal at 2:59. Tkachuk poked the puck at the top right circle. Anton Lundell fed a lead pass from the high slot. Carter Verhaeghe pivoted out from the top of the crease and roofed a backhand shot from the right of the crease. It was the fifth career overtime playoff goal for Verhaeghe.