Johansson makes 36 saves, Lightning shut out Panthers

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Jonas Johansson made 36 saves to help the Tampa Bay Lightning end the Florida Panthers’ four-game winning streak with a 4-0 win at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday.

It was the fourth shutout in the NHL and third in two seasons with Tampa Bay for Johansson, who has won three straight starts.

“I feel confident, comfortable, and the team has been really solid in front of me which makes my life a whole lot easier,” Johansson said. “It was a really good team effort.”

Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, and Mitchell Chaffee scored in the first period for the Lightning (19-11-2). Brandon Hagel had a goal and an assist, and Anthony Cirelli and Victor Hedman each had two assists.

“These are two teams who have battled it out, and when you include playoffs, regular season, and preseason, we have probably played this team more than double of any other,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said.

“These are two cross-state rivals, the last five Stanley Cups have had these two teams in them. Anytime you get together, it is pretty entertaining. This was another one tonight. They are always different, but the teams compete really hard.’’

Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves for the Panthers (21-12-2), who ended the Lightning’s four-game winning streak on Sunday with a 4-2 win at Tampa Bay.

Florida had not lost a regulation game at home since Nov. 25 against the Washington Capitals.

“I think the offensive part of our game was there … their guy made some saves, we missed some nets,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “I don’t think we had a whole lot in the tank, but they did not lay over in that game. There was a pretty good spark there. We’ll leave it where it is. The four days [off] will be great for this team. It was our third home game this month. We’ve done a little traveling here, and I think it showed.’’

Kucherov gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead when he beat Bobrovsky glove-high with a backhand shot at 6:56 of the first period.

Guentzel made it 2-0 at 9:20, one-timing a drop pass from Hagel from the high slot.

Chaffee scored on the power play when he pulled a rebound from his skate off a point shot from Cirelli at 16:24 for a 3-0 Lightning lead.

Hagel scored into an empty net to make it 4-0 with 5:42 remaining in the third period, Florida pulling Bobrovsky on a power-play chance.

“We just stuck to our game. [Sunday], our 5-on-5 was not the problem, but we had a few hiccups on the power play and, when you play this many games, it happens,” Hagel said. “We knew we did the right things and came here knowing we just needed to improve on some things.”

The Panthers got a scare late in the first period when Matthew Tkachuk left under the help of defenseman Nate Schmidt and a team athletic trainer after colliding with Kucherov at full speed.

Kucherov was given a five-minute major for kneeing and a game misconduct.

Tkachuk returned to a loud ovation at 2:19 of the second period.

“That is who he is. He is incredible and is not going down easily,” Florida captain Aleksander Barkov said of Tkachuk. “You can count on that he is going to come back, no matter what. He is a true warrior. He battles through a lot of things.”

NOTE: Kucherov hit the 50-point mark with his first-period goal, matching his own franchise mark for fewest games to hit 50 points in a season (also 30 games, last season).