RECAP: Panthers 4, Lightning 2

TAMPA – Some nights special teams are just special.

Scoring a pair of shorthanded goals and adding one more on the power play, the Florida Panthers secured a 4-2 win over the cross-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on Sunday.

Improving to 22-11-2, the Panthers have won four straight games.

“The 5-on-5 game should be pretty even with these two teams,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “We’re both deep with great goaltending. It’s hard generating at 5-on-5. You don’t expect your kill to be that dynamic, but it’s been like that all year.”

Spencer Knight stole the show early for the Panthers, making two key stops in the first period. In the opening five minutes, he kicked out his right pad to stone Brayden Point from the doorstep. Late, he stopped Brandon Hagel on point-blank shot.

Picking up the win, Knight finished the game with 19 saves.

“It’s always fun playing them just because they’re so talented and it’s a really good challenge,” Knight said of facing the Lightning. “I think that makes us better.”

Opening the scoring on the power play, Sam Reinhart tipped in a point shot from Aaron Ekblad to put the Panthers up 1-0 at 15:51. On the play, Ekblad recorded the 250^th assist of his career, breaking a tie with Stephen Weiss (249) for the third-most in franchise history.

Evening the score for the Lightning in the final seconds of the first period, Nick Paul found some open ice in front of the net and fired a shot through Knight’s five hole to make it 1-1 at 19:55.

In the second period, the Panthers got it done on special teams.

No, not the power play.

Already leading the NHL in shorthanded goals, the Panthers scored twice on the same penalty kill to stun the Lightning. After A.J. Greer slipped a backhand shot through Andrei Vasilevskiy to make it 2-1 at 10:28, Eetu Luostarinen forced a turnover and scored on a breakaway to make it 3-1 at 11:10.

Two shy of a franchise record, the Panthers are up to 10 shorthanded goals this season.

“I think we did a great job,” Luostarinen said. “Everybody was alert and ready to go. Getting two goals there was big momentum for us.”

Continuing to stand tall, Knight made another big stop for the Panthers when he robbed Nikita Kucherov, who entered the matchup leading the Lightning in scoring with 49 points, on a golden opportunity from the right circle less than a minute into the third period.

Cutting into the deficit for the Lightning, Point flew into the offensive zone, got behind the defense, made shifty little move and then scored off his forehand to make it 3-2 at 3:25.

Getting the job done on the penalty kill again in the second half of the third period, the Panthers surrendered just one shot on goal to the Lightning and blocked three more.

Tampa Bay entered the matchup with the third-best power play in the NHL at 27.8%.

“Everyone is committed,” Reinhart said of Florida’s defensive effort.

With 30.4 seconds left, Reinhart locked in the 4-2 win with an empty-net goal.

In less than 24 hours, the Panthers will host the Lightning for a rematch in Sunrise.

“It’s going to be six periods of it, that’s the way we looked at it,” Maurice said of the heated home-and-home series. “We expect a pushback game from them, for sure. For both teams, it’s a light at the end of the tunnel [before the break]."

THEY SAID IT

“They’re all good saves against that team. That’s the highest scoring team in the league.” – Paul Maurice on Spencer Knight’s performance

“The guy scores like a million goals, but I think I’ve seen like five games this year where he’s eaten a puck. When your best players are doing that, it speaks a lot.” – Spencer Knight on Sam Reinhart

“It was a big win. Every two points counts.” – Eetu Luostarinen on tonight’s win

“It was all good defense that led to offense. A couple good plays at the line that lead to some breaks.” – Sam Reinhart on Florida’s two shorthanded goals

CATS STATS

- The Panthers scored two shorthanded goals in a game for the eighth time in their history.

- Sam Reinhart blocked a team-high three shots.

- The Panthers improved to 14-0-0 when leading after two periods.

- Sam Bennett went 10-for-13 (76.9%) in the face-off circle.

- Evan Rodrigues skated in his 500^th NHL game.

- Spencer Knight made six high-danger saves, per NaturalStatTrick.com.

WHAT’S NEXT?

One down, one to go.

Wrapping up their home-and-home series, the Panthers will host the Lightning for a rematch at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday at 7 p.m. ET.

For tickets, click HERE.