In a thrilling clash on Wednesday night, the Florida Panthers emerged victorious against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a score of 3-2. Sam Reinhart shone with a two-goal performance, while Sergei Bobrovsky’s goaltending heroics, with 27 saves, secured the win for the Panthers.
Panthers’ head coach, Paul Maurice, etched his name in the NHL record books by becoming one of the select few to have coached 1,800 games, joining the likes of Scotty Bowman (2,141) and Barry Trotz (1,812). Although Maurice acknowledged the illustrious company he now keeps, he humbly pointed out that his peers have championship rings, unlike him, as the Stanley Cup has eluded him thus far.
Reflecting on his achievement, Maurice said, “A lifetime of association with some really fine people. I’m mindful of that. It’s not a milestone necessarily; it’s a path.”
In addition to Reinhart’s stellar performance, Aaron Ekblad also contributed to the Panthers’ victory with a goal, while Aleksander Barkov chipped in with three assists.
Bobrovsky, the Panthers’ netminder, expressed his satisfaction with the win, emphasizing the rivalry aspect, stating, “It’s a big win for us against a really good team. It’s always a rivalry.”
Nikita Kucherov achieved a significant milestone by scoring his 300th career goal for the Lightning, while Michael Eyssimont added another goal for Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy, in goal for the Lightning, made 28 saves in a commendable effort. Tampa Bay had been on a three-game winning streak before this matchup.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper noted that his team might not have been fully engaged physically until they scored in the third period. Kucherov’s milestone goal ignited the Lightning’s spirit, but Reinhart’s short-handed goal shortly thereafter extended Florida’s lead to 3-1. Tampa Bay quickly responded, closing the gap to 3-2 with Eyssimont’s power-play goal.
Despite Kucherov, the NHL’s points leader, briefly leaving the ice in the first period after taking a stick to the face, he managed to reach the 300-goal milestone, becoming the 244th player in NHL history to achieve this feat.
The Panthers, last season’s Prince of Wales Trophy winners as the top team in the Eastern Conference, once again demonstrated their dominance by taking a 2-0 lead early in the second period, courtesy of Reinhart’s goal.
Aaron Ekblad notched his first goal of the season in the opening period, and it was a good omen for the Panthers, who have an impressive 13-0-2 record when scoring first.
Bobrovsky, in addition to his two-goal lead, showcased his skills with a series of remarkable saves, including a lunging glove save on Brayden Point’s breakaway opportunity in the third period, leaving his teammates in awe.
Vasilevskiy also made crucial saves to keep Tampa Bay in the game, notably denying Carter Verhaeghe’s power-play rebound with just four minutes left.
On the Lightning’s side, captain Steven Stamkos had four shots but endured a challenging night, finishing the game with a minus-3 rating and continuing a tough season with a minus-15 overall.
Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, while participating in the morning skate, missed his third consecutive game for the Lightning after suffering an injury when he took a shot off the back of his left foot on December 19th.