Lightning Sweep Panthers In Game 4

     The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated the Florida Panthers with a 2-0 victory in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Amalie Arena on Monday night. The Lightning swept the Panthers 4-0 in the best-of-seven series. The Bolts repeated what they did last year when they won the Battle of Florida against the Cats 4-2 during the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

     The Panthers were shut out for the first time this season during the 2021-22 campaign. They were held to one goal or less for the fourth time in the series and fifth time in their last eight playoff contests. 

     Joe Thornton made his playoff debut with the Florida Panthers and played in his 187th career postseason game. He signed as a free agent with the Panthers back in August. 

     After a scoreless first period, Tampa Bay had two goals disallowed in the second period. Alex Killorn redirected goal from the slot area was not allowed because Ondrej Palat made a pass from the right corner to the right point that grazed off the safety net above the plexiglass at the 8:44 mark. A Nikita Kucherov goal was disallowed with 9:28 left in the frame when Anthony Cirelli made a hand pass on the faceoff draw in the left circle. 

     In the third period, the Lightning took a 1-0 lead at 6:16. Zach Bogosian fired a shot from the right point and Sergei Bobrovsky made a blocker save. Pat Maroon batted the puck in mid-air at the top of the crease and it trickled past the goal line for his second goal of the postseason. 

     Tampa Bay added an empty-net goal with 22.1 seconds remaining in the third to make it 2-0. Cirelli sent the puck all the way down the ice from his own zone and Palat, who came out of the penalty box, tapped the puck into the cage from close range for his fourth goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.