Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) hugs against the Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper after Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Panthers advance to the second round after defeating Tampa Bay in 5 games
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Eetu Luostarinen had a goal and three assists to lead the Florida Panthers to a 6-3 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning and advance Florida to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart also scored for Florida. Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 26 saves as the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers defeated their in-state rival in five games in the first round for the second consecutive season.
Panthers will play the winner of the series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, which Toronto currently leads 3-2.
Nick Paul, Gage Goncalves and Jake Guentzel scored for Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 25 saves. Since advancing to three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances from 2020-2022, the Lightning have lost in the first round for the past three seasons. Tampa Bay fell to 1-9 in the past 10 home playoff games.
Bennett scored with 4:47 left in the second period just six seconds after he came out of the penalty box, finishing off a 2-on-1 chance and beating Vasilevskiy to the far post on the stick side to lift the Panthers to a 4-3 lead.
Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel (59) celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers with defenseman Victor Hedman (77), center Brayden Point (21) and center Anthony Cirelli (71) during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay scored the opening goal for the first time in the series when Goncalves scored 2:33 into the game. But Florida answered with a power-play goal from Verhaeghe at 5:21 and Lundell redirected a Brad Marchand pass at 10:06.
Paul pulled the Lightning even at 12:16 of the first with his second goal of the series.
Barkov tipped a Gustav Forsling shot 52 seconds into the second to put Florida back in front before Guentzel snapped an 0-for-16 power play slump for Tampa Bay at 9:57.
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) stops a shot by Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) celebrates with the bench after scoring against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (42) checks Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel (59) into the dasher during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) talks to against the Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper after Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) tries to control the puck between Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) and center Anthony Cirelli (71) during the first period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (7) takes down Tampa Bay Lightning center Zemgus Girgensons (28) during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) celebrates with the bench after scoring against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Nick Paul (20) celebrates after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the first period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) carries the puck against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh (43) during the first period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)Tampa Bay Lightning center Gage Goncalves (93) takes down Florida Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis (26) during the first period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) celebrates after scoring against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
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