But after leading the league with 29 comeback wins during the regular season, the Panthers firmly believe they have what it takes to become the fifth team on that list of series stunners.
"We know we can do it," Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau said confidently after Game 3. "We have that kind of team. We have resilience. We showed it all year, so why not do it now?"
The biggest hurdle to overcome to make that happen will be Andrei Vasilevskiy.
After allowing 18 goals over the course of his first six starts in this postseason, the Lightning's goaltender has given up just one goal in four straight starts, including turning aside 34 of 35 shots during an otherworldly performance to keep Florida's attack at bay throughout Game 3.
Since 2020, Vasilevskiy has gone 9-0 with a .970 save percentage in series-clinching games.
"We're playing probably the best goalie. He's making some saves," Huberdeau said. "We're having chances. We're not getting bounces too right now. Credit to them too, they're blocking every shot. They're a good team. You can see why they won two Stanley Cups."
In order to crack the "Big Cat" between Tampa Bay's pipes, the Panthers know they'll need to keep sending everything - including the kitchen sink - toward the opposing net. With over 30 scoring chances in each game of the series thus far, they're certainly due for a good bounce.
It also helps that in Game 3, the Panthers finally ended their playoff drought on the power play when Sam Reinhart took a pass from Huberdeau and scored to make it 1-1 in the first period.
"[Vasilevskiy's] world-class and he's going to put out performances like he has, but I think the thing we've got to stick with is what is working for us," Reinhart said. "I think in that third period we got away from it a little bit. That's probably connected to a little bit of the frustration."
Looking to get back into the series, eliminating that frustration will also be key.
"That's got to be our focus," Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said. "We're a good team when the backs are against the wall and it looks bleak. Hopefully we can find some passion, some energy and some joy out of that. It's more frustration than joy right now."
Tied 1-1 entering the second period in Game 3, the Panthers, despite leading 16-10 in scoring chances during the middle frame, headed into the third period trailing 3-1 as the Lightning took full advantage of their minimal looks on two timely goals from Erik Cernak and Steven Stamkos.
Over the past three postseasons, the Bolts own a 30-3 record when leading after 40 minutes.
"Not a lot of puck luck," Brunette said of the team's missed scoring chances. "A lot of credit to them. When you fall behind, they're a tough team to come back on. Kind of fell behind here this whole series. We haven't found that extra gear when we're behind, which we found all year."
Across the ice, Nikita Kucherov continues to power Tampa Bay's offense, which has managed to find goals despite a stellar series from Sergei Bobrovsky. With a four-point performance in Game 3, he now ranks third in the NHL in playoff scoring with 15 points (four goals, 11 assists).
But even with the big guns leading the charge up front, 12 different players have tallied at least one point for the Lightning in the series. By comparison, only eight players have posted a point for the Panthers. To turn this series on its head, a full team effort will be needed from Florida.
Heading into Game 4, it's going to take all the Cats to mount this comeback.
"It's on us," Huberdeau said. "I've got to be better. I think every guy can do a little bit better, play more of our game."
