3 Keys: Panthers at Lightning, Game 3 of first round

No. 2 Panthers at No. 3 Lightning
6:30 p.m. ET; USA, FX-CA, TVAS2, BSSUN, BSFL
Tampa Bay leads best-of-7 series, 2-0

The Tampa Bay Lightning will try extend their lead against the Florida Panthers when they play Game 3 of the Stanley Cup First Round at Amalie Arena on Thursday.
The Lightning have never lost a best-of-7 series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs when taking a 2-0 lead, going 6-0. They are 3-3 in Game 3s after winning the first two games.
It's the Lightning's first playoff home game since April 12, 2019, when they lost 5-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round. They were swept in that series before winning the Stanley Cup last season, when the entire postseason was played in Toronto and Edmonton because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Approximately 9,000 fans will be allowed at Amalie Arena for Game 3.
"Hopefully it's loud," Lightning forward Patrick Maroon said. "Our Tampa fans are true. They've been supporting us since last year. Our crowd is loud and I can't wait just to see them in the stands. … They deserve this. I think it's going to be electric."
Panthers goalie Chris Driedger will start his second straight game after making 26 saves in a 3-1 loss in Game 2. Driedger replaced Sergei Bobrovsky, who allowed five goals on 40 shots in a 5-4 loss in Game 1.
"'Bob' definitely had some merit and discussion as well and that was the move, it's still the opportunity [for Driedger]," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. "We didn't give him much run support last game and in front of him he didn't get the workload that Bob saw. It wasn't an easy decision to say the least."
Teams that take a 3-0 lead are 192-4 (.979) winning a best-of-7 series.
Here are 3 keys for Game 3:

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1. Limit transition early

The Lightning took a 2-0 lead in the first period of Game 2 because they were better on breakouts and quicker through the neutral zone.
Having the lead allowed them to play stingier in the middle of the ice, which allowed them to cut down Florida's rush chances by disrupting its breakouts.
Each team wants to use its speed to generate chances off the rush. Each also can be effective in shutting down the middle of the ice. The team that transitions better early has an improved chance of getting a lead and then protecting it.
"There is a little bit of a different mindset when you have the lead, especially when the game starts dwindling down so you're not so apt to go on the offensive rush all the time," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

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2. Time to grind with Bennett back

Panthers center Sam Bennett will play after being suspended for Game 2 for boarding Lightning forward Blake Coleman in the third period of Game 1.
Bennett had two assists in Game 1 and scored 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 10 regular-season games after being acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames on April 12.
The Panthers need to feel the impact of Bennett's return low in the offensive zone. His grinding style allows him to take over shifts by cycling the puck, winning battles to get it back or just forechecking to slow the opposition.
"He's an inside centerman," Quenneville said. "He finds a way to the hard areas, takes guys on in the tough areas. His production with that line, they just seem to get through the middle of the ice and they're strong on the puck. They're physical and grinding."

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3. McDonagh's impact

Cooper called Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh "a stud" after Game 2, when he had four blocked shots, one on the penalty kill, and was plus-2 in 23:11 of ice time.
The Lightning were 3-for-3 on the penalty kill, including 2-for-2 while protecting a 2-1 lead in the third period, in large part because of McDonagh's ability to kill plays and get in shooting lanes.
McDonagh also blocked two shots and had two assists in 20:55 of ice time in Game 1.
"He's a selfless player and sacrifices his body all the time," Cooper said. "He's a warrior and a phenomenal teammate and he's certainly shown that in these last two games."

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Panthers projected lineup

Carter Verhaeghe -- Aleksander Barkov -- Anthony Duclair
Jonathan Huberdeau -- Sam Bennett -- Owen Tippett
Frank Vatrano -- Alexander Wennberg -- Patric Hornqvist
Ryan Lomberg -- Noel Acciari -- Mason Marchment
Gustav Forsling -- MacKenzie Weegar
Markus Nutivaara -- Brandon Montour
Anton Stralman -- Radko Gudas
Chris Driedger
Sergei Bobrovsky
Scratched:Kevin Connauton, Spencer Knight, Noah Juulsen, Nikita Gusev, Juho Lammikko, Keith Yandle, Eetu Luostarinen, Lucas Wallmark, Aleksi Heponiemi, Grigori Denisenko, Sam Montembeault, Philippe Desrosiers, Brady Keeper, Scott Wilson, Cole Schwindt
Injured:Aaron Ekblad (leg)

Lightning projected lineup

Ondrej Palat -- Brayden Point -- Nikita Kucherov
Alex Killorn -- Anthony Cirelli -- Steven Stamkos
Ross Colton -- Yanni Gourde -- Blake Coleman
Pat Maroon -- Tyler Johnson
Victor Hedman -- Jan Rutta
Ryan McDonagh -- Erik Cernak
Mikhail Sergachev -- David Savard
Luke Schenn
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Curtis McElhinney
Scratched:Cal Foote, Mitchell Stephens, Gemel Smith, Christopher Gibson, Spencer Martin, Fredrik Claesson, Ben Thomas, Alex Barre-Boulet, Daniel Walcott, Andreas Borgman, Taylor Raddysh, Boris Katchouk, Mathieu Joseph
Injured:Barclay Goodrow (upper body)

Status report

Yandle skated with the Panthers' scratches at the end of the morning skate, an indication that the defenseman won't play. Yandle never has missed a playoff game, skating in 57 straight, and he has played in 922 consecutive regular-season games, the longest active streak in the NHL. … The Lightning could go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the second straight game. If they choose to go with 12 forwards, Joseph would replace Schenn.