Panthers-Lightning: Part I delivered on hype. Now Florida faces critical Game 2 in Tampa
The Florida Panthers made sure not to worry too much when Victor Hedman put a puck in the back of the net and delivered the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2, overtime win Thursday in Tampa. Yes, the Panthers missed a ripe opportunity to vault past their in-state rival and solidify their position in the race for first place in the Central Division, but they could also take a step back what an overtime loss — especially in the manner they lost Thursday — really meant.
They outshot the Lightning by 19, hung with the defending Stanley Cup champion despite missing one injured star forward and another likely contributor waiting to join the team after a Monday trade, and nearly won with a 2-on-1 just seconds before Hedman delivered Tampa Bay to victory.
“It’s a close game. Anything can happen, and I still thought we were doing the right things all game long,” coach Joel Quenneville said Thursday. “We’ve scored some timely overtime goals and today it didn’t happen.”
Still, Hedman’s goal was the difference between first and third place for Florida (27-12-5) in the tightly contested Central. With fewer than 15 games left for all three division contenders, it could also easily prove to be the difference in the race for the No. 1 seed, especially because the Panthers have played one more game than the Lightning (29-12-2) and two more than the Carolina Hurricanes.
The opener of a two-game series between Florida and Tampa Bay was a reminder of how little separates the division rivals and also how quickly fortunes can change in a playoff race. The Panthers now stare down a second game against the Lightning on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Amalie Arena at risk of dropping three points out of first place with fewer than a dozen games to go.
Florida heads into the weekend — and finale of a six-game road trip — one point back of Tampa Bay and the Hurricanes, who are now tied atop the division.
“We know how important these points are. We’re battling for first place here,” winger Anthony Duclair said Thursday. “Anytime you’re battling the defending champs, you want to have a good outcome.”
Aside from the outcome, the Panthers were happy with how Thursday went. Right wing Patric Hornqvist, acquired in the offseason in part because of his postseason experience, snapped an eight-game goal drought in one of Florida’s biggest games of the year. Duclair finished a highlight-reel, spinning assist from All-Star left wing to give the Panthers a third-period lead against the division’s preeminent Cup contender. If it wasn’t for an astonishing 36-save performance from star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, Florida likely would’ve sprung the upset and taken pole position against the Lightning in the division race.
Instead, the Panthers blew a pair of one-goal leads and their margin for error shrunk yet again. Florida has now lost seven straight to Tampa Bay and Carolina, including all three on this road trip.
“Playing meaningful games means every shift’s important,” Quenneville said. “Everybody expects the job to get done by the prior line, or the next line or your line, so it just seems to bring that type of an emotion to the game and, if you want to win, that’s the consistency, predictability that’s going to make your team get to the next level and we welcome the challenge. This trip has been a great test.”
The Panthers do hope to get more help Saturday. Versatile forward Sam Bennett, whom Florida acquired in a trade-deadline deal, could join Florida by Saturday, Quenneville said, and give the coach another option in his suddenly deep roster.
Defenseman Brandon Montour, center Lucas Wallmark and winger Nikita Gusev all made their Panther debuts Thursday after joining Florida in the week leading up to the deadline, and all three held their own. Florida will still be without star forward Carter Verhaeghe, however, as he’s out “week-to-week” with an upper-body injury, but the Lightning will also be missing versatile superstar forward Steven Stamkos for the fifth straight game.
As Thursday proved, little separates Florida’s two NHL teams. The Panthers are just looking for the final little edge to push them past their rival.
“They’re a talented team over there,” Montour said, “and we’ve got to get through them.”
