Panthers Clinch Series, Eliminate Lightning in 5

Sunrise, FL – The Florida Panthers can finally call themselves the kings of Florida. The Panthers won the most recent Battle of Florida in five games and got to clinch in front of their home crowd at Amerant Bank Arena with a 6-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night.

It's raining rats in Florida 🐀 pic.twitter.com/46j0titt0a

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 30, 2024

Of course, the most important goals of the franchise-defining win came off their captain Aleksander Barkov’s stick.

Mr. Panther and Mr. Playoffs

One game shy of clinching an opening-round victory over their arch-rivals, it’s only fitting that the Panthers’ captain Aleksander Barkov, and constant playoff hero Carter Verhaeghe would have their fingerprints on the win.

WHO ELSE BUT HIM pic.twitter.com/rCWRaEUAIr

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 30, 2024

After being left off the board in the first period, Verhaeghe gave the Panthers the 1-0 lead 45 seconds into the second period with a goal off his own rebound. Barkov added to the lead 12 minutes later with a shorthanded goal off a faceoff in the Panthers offensive end. Like Verhaeghe, he tapped in a rebound that Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy couldn’t corral.

Up 2-1 halfway through the third period, Verhaeghe picked off a puck that glanced off Mikhail Sergachev’s stick in the Panthers offensive zone. Verhaeghe passed the puck down to Barkov in front of the crease for the first-line center to tap in for the insurance goal.

LEADERS LEAD pic.twitter.com/NFeDZBKB8g

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 30, 2024

The two goals in game five were his first of the series. He also notched three assists in those five games.

“Yeah Barky’s our leader,” Verhaeghe said. “He leads the way out there and we all follow him. He’s been unbelievable all year … he does everything right, every game. I think a lot of guys on our team try and emulate and try to be like him.”

Verhaeghe put the finishing touches on the game with an empty-net goal to put Florida up, 5-1 with four minutes left in the third. He ended the series with six goals and four assists

Penalty kill suffocates again

Much had been made about how the Panthers penalty kill would match up against the league-leading Tampa power play. The Bolts ended the regular season scoring on 28.6 percent of their power plays.

After Florida had dominated against the Tampa Bay power play in the first three games of the series, they allowed two goals in five Lightning power plays in Saturday’s game four loss.

On Monday, Florida got back to what made them successful earlier in the series. They went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill and kept Tampa Bay to just one shot on goal. The Panthers had more shots on goal during their penalty kills (3) than Tampa Bay had during their power plays.

The Panthers penalty kill was 16-for-20 (80 percent) during the series.

Overturned goals

Twice, the Lightning looked like they either took control of the game or at least stifled the Panthers’ momentum.

Thirteen minutes into the game, Anthony Cirelli banged home a loose puck in front of the crease to seemingly put Tampa up, 1-0. The Panthers successfully challenged the play for goaltender interference as Anthony Duclair’s skate made contact with Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in the crease.

Cirelli found himself in the middle of a waived-off goal again towards the end of the second period. With the Panthers up 2-1, he made contact with Bobrovsky in the crease as Mikhail Sergachev ripped a blue-line slap shot into the back of the net. The referees immediately waived it off and confirmed the call during the Lightning’s subsequent challenge. 

My biggest problem with this comment is:
Men created the goalie interference rule, a man waived off the goal on the ice, men confirmed the call, and yet Jon Cooper thinks this is about acting like women (whatever that means) https://t.co/4QbKjU1Gri

— Alex Krutchik (@AlexKrutchikFOF) April 30, 2024

“Well, then, net-front battles are not allowed anymore. And that’s part of everybody’s game. It’s like, the boxing out that goes there, it’s like prison rules in the playoffs. But it’s not prison rules for the goalie? Like, the second something happens, we might as well put skirts on, if that’s how it’s going to be. I mean, they have to battle through stuff too.” said Lightning head coach Jon Cooper.

The Panthers will play the winner of the Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs series. The Bruins currently lead, 3-1, and play again Tuesday at 7 pm. The Panthers will have a home-ice advantage against either team.