BOLTS OF LIGHTNING

This will be a very short column because Tampa Bay was eliminated from The Stanley Cup playoff going 1-3 in the last week.

Here’s how the Florida Panthers sent the Blue & Black to an early exodus.

GAME REVIEW

GAME 84 PANTHERS 2 LIGHTNING 0

Florida took a 2-0 lead in their Stanley Cup Eastern Conference best of seven series with Tampa Bay as the Panthers shut out of the Bolts 2-0 at Amalie Arena. The Cats scored at 4:15 of the opening period and made it stand up adding an empty net marker with just 4 ticks left in regulation.

GAME 85 LIGHTNING 5 PANTHERS 1

Tampa Bay got their first win of the series with a 5-1 triumph over Florida at Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers got the first goal of the contest just 2:43 into the first period but it would be the only score the home team would put up on the scoreboard. The Bolts tied the score at 17:15 of the initial stanza then took the lead for good at 13:17 of the middle period. The Lightning sealed the deal with 3 third period markers. The first at 21 seconds and the second at 14:19 followed by an empty netter at 15:00. The win cut the Cats series lead to 2-1.

GAME 86 LIGHTNING 2 PANTHERS 4

In one of the strangest playoff games in recent memory Florida scored three late goals to defeat Tampa Bay 4-2 at Amerant Bank Arena. After a scoreless opening 20 minutes the Panthers took the lead at 9:06 of the second period. The Bolts tied and took the lead in a matter of 11 seconds with the first at 12:21 and the second at 12:32. The Cats returned the favor by posting two scores 11 seconds apart in the third period at 16:13 and 16:24 and finished the scoring with an empty net marker at 18:20. That gives the home team a commanding 3-1 series advantage.

GAME 87 PANTHERS 6 LIGHTNING 3

Florida broke open a 3-3 game with a trio of 3rd period goals to defeat Tampa Bay at Amalie Arena 6-3. The Lightning opened the scoring at 2:33 of the opening period but the Panthers scored the next two at 5:21 on the power play and a second at 10:08. The Bolts tied the contest at 2 all but the Cats when ahead again just 52 seconds into the middle period. The Blue & Black pulled even at 9:57 with the man advantage. The visitors iced the victory with a goal at 15:13 then added two final period scores at 13:02 and an empty netter at 15:36. That made the final count 6-3 and Florida closed out Tampa Bay 4-1 to move on to the Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Semifinals 4 games to 1.

ANALYSIS

*F Brayden Point scored his 24th goal against G Sergei Bobrovsky which is the most by any NHL player with F Alex Ovechkin second with 22 scores.

**F Mitchell Chaffee scored his first career playoff goal.

***G Andrei Vasilevskiy started his 114th consecutive playoff for the Lightning and that’s the fifth longest streak in Stanley Cup history.