Lightning Upset Panthers In Game 1

     The Battle of Florida began as the Florida Panthers lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at FLA Live Arena on Tuesday night. The Lightning lead the best-of-seven series 1-0. 

     Both clubs faced each other in the postseason for the first time ever in the 2021 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Tampa Bay won Game 1 of that series against Florida last year. 

     The Panthers lost their seventh consecutive Game 1 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs going back to 2000. The Cats last won a Game 1 versus the New York Rangers at Miami Arena in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals back in 1997. The Panthers are now 0-foe-21 on the power play this postseason. 

     Florida got off to a 1-0 lead with 5:59 remaining in the first period. Brandon Montour angled a pass to his right from the Panthers blue line. Jonathan Huberdeau carried the puck into the Lightning zone to the right wing. He connected a cross-ice pass and Anthony Duclair lifted a wrist shot from the left of the crease past Andrei Vasilevskiy It ended up being Duclair's first tally of the postseason and first career playoff goal. Huberdeau tied Aleksander Barkov for most career playoff points in Florida Panthers history with 20. 

     In the second period, Tampa Bay tied it up on the power play with 3:38 left. Nikita Kucherov took the puck in his own end and skated down the left side into the Florida zone. He slid the puck across the low slot and Corey Perry fired a one-time slap shot from the low right circle by Sergei Bobrovsky for his third goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs 

     The Lightning pulled ahead 2-1 at the 3:35 mark of the third period. Perry released a shot from the slot area that was saved, but Pierre-Edouard Bellemare followed with a snap shot from the low slot for his second goal this postseason. 

     The Bolts would add two power-play goals later in the frame to go up 4-1. Kucherov scored his third goal of the postseason from the right circle with 4:06 remaining. Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos were credited with assists on the play. 

     Tampa Bay capped it 4-1 with the man advantage again. Mikhail Sergachev rifled a slap shot from the right point. After it was saved, Nick Paul tapped it back from the crease area and Ross Colton found the net from the slot area with 2:16 left. It turned out to be Colton's fourth goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.