Lightning defeat Panthers in Game 1 of Eastern Second Round

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Nikita Kucherov and Corey Perry each had a goal and an assist when the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Florida Panthers 4-1 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at FLA Live Arena on Tuesday.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 33 saves for the Lightning, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions and the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic Division.
"It's fun to be able to help the team offensively at times," Bellemare said. "Our line, last series we had to kind of manage when we were on the ice, and tonight it was more about trying to build momentum for the team when we're out there. Corey got a big goal, and my goal was just a simple play. Credit to the coach for putting us in an offensive face-off."
Anthony Duclair scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves for the Panthers, who won the Presidents' Trophy with the best regular-season record in the NHL (58-18-6) and are the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic.
Game 2 of the best-of-7 series is here Thursday.
Tampa Bay was 3-for-6 on the power play despite forward Brayden Point being out with a lower-body injury sustained in Game 7 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Florida was 0-for-3 and is 0-for-21 in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games.
"I was happy with our game," Panthers coach Andrew Brunette said. "It was the little things. And that's what they do so well, that's why they have won a couple of Cups. It's the little things. It's a little face-off, it's shorthanded trying to score out of nothing. It's special teams. It is all these little things that they excel at and we're still learning. Again, unfortunately, we have to learn again tonight. We'll be better next game."

Bellemare gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead at 3:35 off a face-off in the Florida zone with a wrist shot from the right hash marks after Bobrovsky stopped Perry's shot.
Duclair had a tying goal overturned at 11:55 after a coach's challenge by the Lightning. A video review determined the puck hit the protective netting and was out of bounds prior to Duclair scoring.
"We knew, right away our coaching staff told us that wasn't going to be a goal," Duclair said. "So you turn the page, get right back at it."
Kucherov made it 3-1 at 15:54 with a power-play goal on a wrist shot from the right face-off circle. The goal was upheld after Florida challenged for goaltender interference, and Ross Colton made it 4-1 on the ensuing power play at 17:44.
After the Panthers killed off two penalties in the first 10 minutes, Duclair gave them a 1-0 lead at 14:01 of the first period. Duclair, who was a healthy scratch in the series-ending 4-3 overtime win against the Washington Capitals in Game 6 of the first round Friday, scored from in close after taking a pass across the middle from Jonathan Huberdeau.
"Anytime I get the chance to play with some great players, some key players, I want to be out there and do my best,'' Duclair said. "I was just trying to be myself out there."

Perry tied it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 16:22 of the second period when he finished off a 2-on-1 with Kucherov, who got past defenseman Aaron Ekblad with an inside-outside move and slid the puck to Perry for the tap-in into an open net.
"Yeah, that was effortless," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "I've always said about 'Kuch,' he knows what the guy he's going against will do before they do, and he made that one look easy.
"It's a 1-0 game and the second period is dwindling down, and for us to get that goal, special teams have been a big part of these playoffs so far and that was another big play. But to give us a little boost going in after the second all tied up, now it's a 20-minute game and we won the period."
NOTES: With Point out, Tampa Bay used 11 forwards and seven defensemen. … Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak left the game late in the second period after blocking a shot. There was no update. … Florida forward Mason Marchment missed the game with a lower-body injury. … The Panthers lost Game 1 for the seventh consecutive playoff series, including their six-game loss to the Lightning in the first round last season. Florida's last Game 1 win was a 3-0 victory against the New York Rangers in the 1997 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.