One of the Lightning’s problem areas during the regular season was defensive-zone turnovers. In Game Three, that problem reared its ugly head. On each of Florida’s first three goals, the Lightning had the puck in the defensive zone and failed to clear it. Soon after, the puck was in the Lightning net.
Those three goals allowed the Panthers to take a one-goal lead into the third period. And as they did in the third period of Game One, the Panthers effectively locked things down in the final frame. Although the Lightning did get a goal from Nick Paul with just over five minutes left, that tally was one of the few chances the Lightning generated in the final frame. And the Paul goal didn’t tie the game. It only reduced a 4-2 deficit to 4-3. That’s because the Panthers had received a key insurance goal from Steven Lorentz earlier in the period.
The costly turnovers that led to the first three Florida goals weren’t the only keys to this game. The Florida penalty kill did a fantastic job against the Lightning power play, which went 0-4 and managed to post only four shots on goal. Two of those power plays came during the first 10 minutes of the contest. Had they converted on either of them, the Lightning would have grabbed the lead. Instead, the failed chances took momentum away from the Lightning. Thirty-two seconds after the second power play ended, Matthew Tkachuk scored for Florida.
Then there was the first half of the second period, which represented the Lightning’s best stretch of hockey so far in the series. Just as they did in Game Two, they scored twice early in the middle stanza. The goals from Steven Stamkos at :44 (on a deflection) and Tyler Motte at 2:56 (shot from the slot) gave the Lightning their first lead in the series. Following those two tallies, the Lightning were in sync and came at the Panthers in waves. They had several opportunities to extend the lead. But Bobrovsky made a critical rebound save on Emil Lilleberg, and moments later, Darren Raddysh hit the post.
Credit the Panthers for withstanding that Lightning surge and not falling behind by more than a goal. Then, at 9:58 of the second, on what was their first legitimate offensive-zone possession sequence, they tied the game. The Sam Reinhart goal changed the complexion of the rest of the period — and the rest of the game. When Brandon Montour’s right-point shot sailed into the top of the net at 16:30 of the second, the Panthers had regained the lead. Despite the Lightning’s terrific showing during the first 10 minutes of the frame, they came out of the second period in the same position as when they entered it — down by a goal.
In the third, the Panthers effectively cleared pucks and forced the Lightning to retrieve them in the Tampa Bay defensive zone. Near the halfway point of the period, Florida forced some additional turnovers in the Lightning end. Andrei Vasilevskiy made a handful of saves to keep the deficit at one. But when a Florida dump-on caromed off the stick of Tanner Jeannot into the slot, Lorentz chipped the puck off the far post and in. That extended the Florida lead to 4-2. After Paul recorded his goal from the slot at 14:50, the Lightning were back to within a goal. They pulled Vasilevskiy in the final two minutes but couldn’t generate any dangerous looks. Tkachuk sealed the win with an empty-netter at 19:28.
As has been the case in the series, the Panthers made more big plays than the Lightning in Game Three. If the Lightning hope to extend the series with a win in Game Four, they will need to change that dynamic.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
- Sam Reinhart — Panthers. Goal.
- Steven Stamkos — Lightning. Goal.
- Matthew Tkachuk — Panthers. Two goals.
