Unfortunately, all things must come to an end, and that includes the Florida Panthers’ long 13-game winning streak. The Tampa Bay Lightning came into Sunrise off of a back-to-back and bested the Panthers in their final regular-season game, 8-4.
Like in the past, there was something big that happened in the ‘Battle of Florida’. This time, on the night, along with 12 goals scored combined, there were some big fights including Sam Bennett and Ryan Lomberg making the faces and jerseys of Mikhail Sergachev and Eric Cernak bloody. And then a turn of events occurred when Florida coach Andrew Brunette was tossed for simply asking the referees a question. Multiple players would have a multiple point night, including Sam Reinhart for Florida, and Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, and Nick Paul (recently acquired from Ottawa) for Tampa Bay.
First Period:
After an early shot by Florida that was saved by Vaslievskiy, Nikita Kucherov would draw first blood a little over two and a half minutes in when Patrick Maroon would set him up to the weak-side circle, where he would fire it short side and beat Knight. Florida thought they had tied the game at one when Claude Giroux put it past Vasilevskiy’s pad off of a Forsling rebound. However, Tampa would challenge the call and win it on a controversial call. 30 seconds later, the Panthers would tie the game at one when Sam Reinhart snapped a quick-releaser over Vasilevskiy’s glove for his 30th of the season.
Eetu Luostarinen got called for a tripping penalty at 6:28, and 16 seconds into the Tampa power play, Steven Stamkos would rip home a shot past Knight’s five-hole. They would extend the lead to 3-1 when Brandon Hagel would set up Cal Foote, who went past a sliding Knight. Brandon Montour cut the lead to 3-2 when he shot a wicked shot glove side.
Second Period:
The Montour goal and the late penalty kill in the first period would give the Panthers momentum going into the second. And they responded. Mason Marchment would have an amazing goal when Claude Giroux chipped it deep, and he would poke it up and over Vasilevskiy. However, it would be Tampa’s Nick Paul that would get the last laugh. Ross Colton would get sent to the penalty box at 4:18, and it would seem to give the Panthers momentum, right? Nope. Over half-way into the power play, Nick Paul would score short-handed between his legs when he received a pass below the net and lifted it up past Knight. Paul would extend the game to 5-3 when he went right-side and beat Knight’s right pad. After the goal, Knight was pulled for Sergei Bobrovsky after allowing five goals on 17 shots.
Third Period:
Early on in the third, the Lightning would get a power play, and they would connect again to make it 6-3 when Brayden Point shot it home from the middle of the offensive zone. The Panthers would get on the power play, and they would cut it to two when a rebound from Jonathan Huberdeau bounced across the crease and put in by Sam Reinhart, his second of the night. Does this mean the ‘Comeback Cats’ would come back? Not tonight. Steven Stamkos would set up Nikita Kucherov, who put it back to 7-4 when he shot it from the high slot past Sergei Bobrovsky.
The Panthers may have lost the game, but they did not lose the battle fight-wise. A massive brawl between Ryan Lomberg and Erik Cernak at 16:24 occured and it gave the game a new turn. Cernak and Lomberg were both assessed five minute majors, and Lomberg was assessed a two minute instigator and the game. Jonathan Huberdeau, Mason Marchment and Anthony Duclair were also each tossed out of the game, and the night would also end early for Andrew Brunette. 10 seconds after all that ensued, the Bolts added the salt with another Steven Stamkos power-play goal.
The Week Ahead:
Florida plays Boston, Ottawa, and Montreal to close out the season.
Tampa goes to Washington to spend the day at the White House, then plays a home-and-away with Columbus and closes out with a trip to Long Island to play the Islanders.