Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1, Game 3: Florida Panthers 5, Tampa Bay Lightning 3
The Florida Panthers are one win away from taking their opening-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series against their in-state rival. The Panthers won Game 3 of the best-of-7 series against the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 on Thursday at Amalie Arena to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. Game 4 is at 5 p.m. Saturday in Tampa, and provides Florida a chance to get the second-ever playoff series sweep in franchise history — the other was their Eastern Conference final series win over the Carolina Hurricanes last season. Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour scored 6:32 apart in the second period to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. Matthew Tkachuk opened scoring in the first period and capped it with an empty-netter. Steven Lorentz then scored in the third for the eventual game-winning goal. Steven Stamkos and Tyler Motte scored in the opening three minutes of the second period to give the Lightning an early 2-1 lead — their first lead of the entire series — before Florida mounted its comeback. Nicholas Paul got Tampa Bay within a goal with 5:10 left. Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 26 saves. LIGHTNING GETS WITHIN ONE Nicholas Paul scored with 5:10 left in regulation on a feed from Anthony Duclair to get the Lightning within a goal, 4-3.
