Florida Panthers collapse in third period in loss to Tampa Bay Lightning

It was another game with a playoff-like feel between two in-state rivals.

And it was another game in which the Tampa Bay Lightning bested the Florida Panthers.

Brayden Point scored the game-winning goal about three minutes into the third period as part of a three-goal final period to lift Tampa Bay to a 4-1 win over Florida on Saturday at Tampa’s Amalie Arena. The Panthers fall to 13-11-4 and are 0-1-1 in their first two games against the Lightning this season. The Lightning improve to 17-9-1.

“I think this [season] is going to be a grind straight through,” said Panthers coach Paul Maurice, whose team has yet to win more than two games in a row at any point this season. “I don’t think there are eight easy marks in the East like there were last year. I think with the balance of the league — especially the division — it’s going to be a grind every night.”

The Lightning added an insurance goal about four minutes later when Mikhail Sergachev’s snap shot from the point went into the net with Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky knocked down an unable to make a play on the puck. The Panthers challenged for goaltender interference, but referees ruled that Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad initiated the contact on Bobrovsky.

Steven Stamkos capped scoring with a goal on a breakaway with 3:15 left.

“We didn’t manage the puck very well,” Maurice said, adding the Panthers were “trying to play a game slower than the game demanded.”

Bobrovsky was dominant prior to that three-goal third period, stopping 24 of the 25 shots on goal against him in the first two periods. The only goal he allowed came 8:40 into the game when Pat Maroon received Anthony Cerelli’s pass from behind the net and fired a shot from the circle past Bobrovsky.

Bobrovsky overall saved 34 of 38 shots against him on Saturday and has stopped 67 of 73 shots over his past eight periods of play since entering in the second period against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.

“He was dialed in early,” Maurice said. “Made a couple of really good saves. ... He was really good tonight and his last two games. He looks back wired right.”

Florida tied the game with a goal from Zac Dalpe 6:02 into the second period when he threw the puck toward the net and it deflected off a Lightning player’s skate and into the net. It was Dalpe’s second goal in three games since being called up as part of a crew of reinforcements to fill in for center Anton Lundell (illness), winger Patric Hornqvist (concussion) and defenseman Radko Gudas (concussion).

But the Panthers otherwise couldn’t get break through against the Lightning and star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. Florida only put 25 shots on goal and had just three shots on goal over four empty power play opportunities. The Lightning blocked 19 other Panthers shot attempts and the Panthers missed on 17 other shot attempts.

“We had our chances,” star Panthers center Aleksander Barkov said,” but not this time.”

Added Maurice: When you’ve got a guy like [Vasilevskiy] in the net, you can’t waste two-thirds of your shot attempts.”

Up next

The Panthers play each of their next three games at home, hosting the Seattle Kraken on Sunday at 6 p.m., Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday at 7 p.m.