Mishkin's Extra Shift: Lightning 2, Panthers 0 - Game 4

Down three games to none and facing elimination, the Panthers had their best showing in the series. They were fast, hungry, and physical. They shot the puck. Again and again and again. Florida finished with 49 shots on goal, 82 overall attempts, and numerous scoring chances. Unfortunately for the Panthers, Andrei Vasilevskiy didn't give an inch. In one of his most memorable performances, Vasilevskiy stopped all 49 shots and kept the Panthers off the board. In doing so, he set an NHL record by registering his sixth shutout in a clinching victory and helped the Lightning advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the sixth time in the last eight years.

The Panthers attacked the net right from the start. Twelve seconds into the game, Vasilevskiy made his first save, a stop on a Claude Giroux Grade-A redirection look from the top of the crease. Florida didn't let up. Through the opening frame, the Panthers pushed the pace and had the Lightning back on their heels. Florida outshot the Lightning, 18-3, in the first period and owned a staggering 34-12 shot attempt advantage. But thanks to Vasilevskiy, the Lightning got out of the period with the score tied at 0-0.
The Panthers received two first period power play chances and the second of those carried over into the middle period. During that second PP, they registered seven shots (five as the first period wound down and two more at the start of the second). Shortly after that penalty ended, the Lightning went on their first PP of the game. But strong Florida penalty kill prevented the Lightning from building any momentum of their own. Nearly eight minutes into the period, the Panthers almost converted. Carter Verhaeghe rang a shot off the crossbar, the first of two posts the Panthers hit in the game. Just over a minute later, the Lightning did score. Alex Killorn deflected a Mikhail Sergachev point shot past Sergei Bobrovsky. The Panthers successfully challenged the goal, however. Replays showed the Ondrej Palat had put the puck off the mesh netting seconds before it reached Sergachev.
The review was a lengthy one, as the officials looked to find a replay that conclusively showed the puck hitting the netting. But the delay didn't slow down Florida's attack. When play resumed, the Panthers had another strong offensive zone shift on which they fired four more shots on net. But at the end of the sequence, Corey Perry and Brandon Hagel broke out on a two-on-one. Bobrovsky stopped Hagel's chance and, moments later, made a save on Pat Maroon's shot from the slot.
Bobrovsky covered the puck, leading to a face-off in the Florida end. Anthony Cirelli won the draw to Nikita Kucherov, who snapped it in at 10:32. But once again, the goal was taken off the board after a successful challenge. Replays shows the puck hit off Cirelli's glove and went directly to Kucherov. A hand pass.
This overturned goal, in a way, sparked the Lightning. From that point onward, they leveled the ice. Prior to the hand pass challenge, the Panthers had outshot the Lightning, 29-9. Attempts were 52-20! After the challenge, though, shots were 20-17 (Panthers) while attempts were just 30-29 in favor of Florida.
It's true that the Panthers still applied pressure and created chances over the final 29 and a half minutes. But the Lightning, in owning more possession than they had in the first half of the game, got their own looks. And they were the ones to break through with the game's opening goal. Just over six minutes into the third, Zach Bogosian held in a Florida cleaning attempt at the right point and worked the puck to the net. Bobrovsky blockered the puck up into the air. As it dropped below the crossbar, Maroon swatted it straight down. It landed in the crease, hit off Bobrovsky, and rolled into the net.
The Lightning had two power play chances following that goal. While they didn't score to extend the lead, they were able to take four more minutes off the clock. But there remained some anxious moments down the stretch. With just over five minutes left, Aaron Ekblad wired a shot off the post. Shortly thereafter, an Anton Lundell dump-in caromed off one of the linesman and changed directions, heading towards the Lightning net. Vasilevskiy, who had left the crease in anticipation of the puck coming around the boards, skated back to the net in time and deflected it wide. Then, with 2:30 remaining, Palat lifted the puck out of play from his own zone, so the Panthers received one final power play with a chance to tie things up. Florida had a lot of zone time during the PP and recorded three shots on net. The Panthers pulled Bobrovsky about a minute into the power play, setting up a six-on-four. But the Lightning held their structure and got through the kill. As the power play expired, Gustav Forsling fired a shot from the center point. Vasilevskiy made the save and a goalmouth scramble ensued. Sergachev protected the short side post as Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau swatted at the puck. It eventually slid to Anthony Cirelli, who swept it down the ice, wide of the empty net. The penalty had ended, so it could have been icing. But Palat, having come out of the penalty box seconds earlier, was the closest to the puck, negating the icing. The puck hit off the end boards directly to Palat, who put it into the empty net, sealing the game - and the series.
I'll have a full series recap coming soon. But as far as Game Four is concerned, Vasilevskiy was the biggest reason why the Lightning didn't get on a plane today in advance of what would have been Game Five in Sunrise on Wednesday.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy - Lightning. 49-save shutout.
2. Anthony Cirelli - Lightning. Assist.
3. Aaron Ekblad - Panthers.