Second round: Lightning-Panthers Game 3 live updates

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Steven Stamkos scored two goals and Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists as the Lightning defeated the Panthers 5-1 in Game 3 of their second-round series Sunday at Amalie Arena.

With the win, Tampa Bay took a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and will have its first chance to clinch Monday in Tampa. Meanwhile, Presidents’ Trophy-winning Florida finds itself on the brink of elimination.

Corey Perry and Erik Cernak also scored for Tampa Bay.

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 34 of 35 shots and has allowed just three goals over the first three games of the series.

Sam Reinhart ended Florida’s 0-for-25 drought on the power play with a late first-period goal, tying the game at 1.

Here’s how it happened:

Third period

Sergei Bobrovsky stops Nick Paul tip-in attempt

Bobrovsky makes save on Paul wrist shot

Cal Foote blocks a shot by Maxim Manin

MacKenzie Weegar shot from the right circle deflected up into the netting

Ondrej Palat shot from left circle stopped by Bobrovsky

Zach Bogosian shot from the right circle saved by Bobrovsky

Vasilevskiy stops Barkov from down low on a couple of chances

Palat misses the net on a breakaway with Ekblad in his back pocket

Killorn shoots wide

Bobrovsky makes save on Hedman

Bobrovsky makes stick save on Paul from in close after Kucherov forces turnover in the neutral zone

Forsling shot off the rush saved by Vasilevskiy

Jan Rutta keeps the puck from crossing the goal line after it goes off Vasilevskiy’s skate

Panthers pull Bobrovsky for an extra attacker

Ekblad shot blocked by Cernak

Hornqvist misses wide

Kucherov feeds Paul, but the shot doesn’t go

LIGHTNING GOAL: Kucherov scores into an empty net. Lightning 4, Panthers 1.

Bobrovsky goes back to the bench

Cirelli shoots wide of the empty net

Barkov shot goes out of play

LIGHTNING GOAL! Stamkos scores into an empty net. Lightning 5, Panthers 1.

Second period

Lightning will start the period with two minutes of penalty time thanks to the Hornqvist penalty at the end of the first period

Hedman blast from the center point was blocked by Ben Chiarot

Sergei Bobrovsky makes save on Nikita Kucherov shot

Panthers kill the penalty, so Lightning 0-for-2 on the power play

LIGHTNING GOAL! Erik Cernak scores from the left circle over Bobrovsky’s glove in top right corner after receiving pass from Ondrej Palat that went under Ross Colton’s stick. Lightning 2, Panthers 1.

Aleksander Barkov hits the right post after getting behind Ryan McDonagh

Claude Giroux shot from the left circle covered by Vasilevskiy

Victor Hedman penalized for interference on Carter Verhaeghe

Brandon Paul is without a stick

Vasilevskiy stops Ekblad shot from the left circle

Ekblad shot misses the net

Ekblad shot blocked by Cernak

Tons of chances in close for Florida, but Vasilevskiy keeps the puck out of the net

McDonagh clears the puck out of the crease

McDonagh gets stick in front of Jonathan Huberdeau chance from in close

Lightning kill the penalty

LIGHTNING GOAL! Stamkos scores on a blast from the right faceoff dot after pass from Kucherov off the rush. Lightning 3, Panthers 1.

Bobrovsky makes save on Alex Killorn wrist shot

Vasilevskiy gets a piece of a Huberdeau shot from the edge of the crease, sending it up over the net

Lightning penalized for too many men on the ice (served by Pat Maroon)

Barkov shot from the point misses the net

McDonagh clears the puck off an official out of the zone

Hornqvist shot from in close hits the post

Hedman and Sergachev block shots

Lightning kill the penalty as the period expires

(Lightning lead 3-1 after two periods)

First period

Nikita Kucherov redirects Victor Hedman pass just wide of the net

Brandon Hagel wrister from the high slot gloved by Sergei Bobrovsky

Ross Colton stripped of the puck by Aaron Ekbland on 2-on-1

Zach Bogosian shot off the rush sticked aside by Bobrovsky

Corey Perry one-timer from the left circle blocked by Radko Gudas

Andrei Vasilevskiy makes a save on MacKenzie Weegar after Mikhail Sergachev failed to get the puck out of the zone

Weegar shot from the point doesn’t get through to the net

Kucherov backhand shot from a sharp angle turned aside by Bobrovsky

Nick Paul leaves for the locker room after big hit into the boards by Ben Chiarot

Victor Hedman blast from the left point stopped by Bobrovsky’s pad

Vasilevskiy stops Maxim Manin on breakaway with glove save after turnover in the neutral zone

Vasileskiy stops Sam Reinhart from in front with glove

Sam Bennett penalized for holding Ryan McDonagh, giving the Lightning their first power play (8:54 to play)

Paul back on the Lightning bench

Corey Perry shot from in front blocked by Aaron Ekblad

Bobrovsky makes save on Hedman shot

Alexsander Barkov lifts Steven Stamkos stick, clears the puck out of the zone

Panthers kill the penalty

LIGHTNING GOAL! Corey Perry scores on double deflection from in front after Steven Stamkos redirected Ryan McDonagh shot from the center point. Lightning 1, Panthers 0.

Brandon Hagel receives minor penalty for cross-checking after shoving Eetu Luostarinen hard into the end boards

PANTHERS GOAL: Florida snaps its 0-for-25 power play drought on Sam Reinhart snap shot from below the harshmarks. Lightning 1, Panthers 1.

Vasilevskiy makes a beautiful skate save to thwart Reinhart from in close

Pat Maroon shot saved by Bobrovsky

Bobrovsky stops Ross Colton

Patric Hornqvist penalized at the buzzer for cross-checking Erik Cernak

(Lightning and Panthers tied 1-1 after one period)

Pregame scouting report

It is commonly called the race to four, two teams competing over a seven-game series to win four games and advance to the next round.

In their second-round series against the Panthers, the Lightning seem to prefer a slog to four.

And why not?

By working hard in all three zones, closing off the middle of the ice, staying disciplined and being opportunistic on offense, Tampa Bay has set the pace, slowing Florida’s high-flying offense, and moved out to a quick two-game lead.

The Lightning have been committed to defense as a five-man unit, allowing a total of just two goals over the first 120 minutes of the series. Carter Verhaeghe, who had three winning goals in Florida’s opening-round series against Washington, did not manage even a shot on goal in Game 2.

The Bolts have sacrificed their bodies, blocking 40 shots over the first two games, and kept the Panthers off the scoreboard on all seven of their chances with the man-advantage. Of course, your best penalty-killer is your goaltender, and Andrei Vasilevskiy has been brilliant, stopping 68 of 70 shots in the series.

As a result, the Lightning find themselves two wins from earning a spot in the Eastern Conference final as the series moves to Tampa for Games 3 and 4.

In the absence of star center Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov has made the two biggest plays of the series, turning Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad inside-out before setting up Corey Perry for the tying goal in Game 1 and then making a blind, backhand pass to Ross Colton for the winner in the closing seconds of Game 2.

With Perry subbing for Point in the bumper position, the Lightning power play has been on fire, converting on 44.4 percent (4 of 9) of its chances. Perry has scored two of those goals.

Vasilevskiy, who has played every game during the 2020 ‘21 and ‘22 postseasons, again will start this afternoon in the first of back-to-back games. He likely will be back in net on Monday despite not playing both halves of a back-to-back all season.

Point continues to be out for the Lightning with a lower-body injury. Forward Brandon Hagel is in the lineup after being a game-time decision after not practicing on Saturday due to “body maintenance.”

Follow our live updates, starting at 1:30 p.m., as Tampa Bay aims to move within one win of advancing to the conference final for the third consecutive season.

Game day scene

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