NOTEBOOK: Barkov leads the way; Big night at The Bank

FORT LAUDERDALE – The captain led the charge.

Setting the tone for the Florida Panthers in their 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Sunday at Amerant Bank Arena, Aleksander Barkov was nothing short of elite.

In addition to assisting on two of three goals – including an eye-popping pass to set up Carter Verhaeghe’s go-ahead strike on the power play just 58 seconds into the third period – the superstar center helped keep the Lightning’s potent attack in check throughout the entire game.

Over the 14:03 that Barkov was deployed at 5-on-5, the Panthers led 19-9 in shot attempts, 9-2 in shots on goal, 13-4 in scoring chances and 1-0 in goals, per NaturalStatTrick.com.

Overall, his 73.01 xGF% led all skaters.

“You just appreciate being on the same team,” teammate and fellow center Kevin Stenlund said after Monday’s practice at Baptist Health IcePlex. “You just watch him and how hard he battles and stuff like that. It’s a joy to watch.”

As a group, the Panthers didn’t give the Lightning much to work with.

Surrendering just 19 total shots on goal, their suffocating forecheck kept Tampa Bay from ever really building up any sort of momentum. The Lightning did manage to fire off six high-danger shots, but Sergei Bobrovsky gobbled up five of them.

When it comes to “playoff hockey,” look no further than last night's performance.

“Our defense starts in the offensive zone when our forwards start forechecking,” defenseman Dmitry Kulikov said. “Then it continues in the neutral zone and then in our zone. We defend as five guys all the time. No matter who it is, you’ve got to do your job.”

GETTING PHYSICAL

In a game that featured 116 combined hits, it was Kulikov that set the tone early.

Less than two minutes after the puck dropped in the first period, the veteran defenseman lined up Lightning forward Michael Eyssimont and sent him crashing into the end boards, a massive body check that ushered in a deafening wave of cheers from the sold-out crowd.

Game on.

“I always have something like that in my mind,” Kulikov smiled when asked to recount his bone-shattering hit. “I like physicality in the game. I’m not always looking for a big hit, but when the opportunity present itself, when it lines up like that, it ended up being a good hit.”

During the post-game press conference after the win, Matthew Tkachuk’s eyes grew big when he stared down at the scoresheet in front of him before answering a question about the physical nature of the contest.

“Everybody got a hit it says there,” the star winger said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that.”

After leading the NHL with an impressive 2,339 hits during the regular season, it should come as no surprise that the Panthers continued with their physical approach in Game 1.

With 17 of 18 skaters registering multiple hits for the Panthers, Eetu Luostarinen led the way with six. Overall, the third line of Luostarinen, Evan Rodrigues and Anton Lundell was by far the most hit-happy in Game 1, combining for 14 hits in the win.

The goal now is to bring that same intensity in Game 2.

“It was a fun game to play,” Stenlund said. “That’s how it is in playoffs.”

BIG NIGHT AT THE BANK

Speaking of intensity, fans in South Florida need to give themselves a pat on the back.

With just a few more than the usual “six fans” you read about on social media filling up the building, 19,356 supporters cheered on the Panthers to victory during a wild Game 1 in Sunrise.

For players, it was a spectacle to both see and hear.

“It was electric,” Kulikov said of the atmosphere. “When you came out you saw all the red sticks or whatever and all that red in the stands. It was so loud that you couldn’t hear anything other than fans screaming. That really got me going and everybody, for sure.”

After the win, Tkachuk credited the fans with getting the party started.

“The fans here were amazing,” Tkachuk said enthusiastically. “Our fans have been so good all year. Coming out for the first period, I had goosebumps during everything.”

With Game 2 against the Lightning coming up on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, fans should make sure to bring the same enthusiasm and continue wearing red as the Panthers try to take a commanding 2-0 advantage in the series.

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