Lightning dispatch Panthers to make series closer

Nick Paul scored the go-ahead goal in the second period as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the host Florida Panthers 5-1 on Saturday afternoon in Sunrise.

Despite the loss, the Panthers - the reigning Stanley Cup champions - lead this best-of-seven series 2-1. Game 4 is schedule for Monday night in Sunrise, Fla.

Tampa Bay's other goals came from Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, Luke Glendening and Anthony Cirelli (empty-netter).

Nikita Kucherov had three assists and Gage Goncalves, Guentzel and Ryan McDonagh added two assists each for a Lightning team that had scored a total of just two goals in the first two games of this series.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 33 saves for the Lightning, who won for just the second time in their past nine playoff games.

The Panthers got a goal from Matthew Tkachuk. Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves.

Florida opened the scoring just 2:43 into the game. Sam Bennett charged in from the left wing, using a toe drag to get past Paul. The puck then slipped off Bennett's stick but went right to Tkachuk in front of the net. Tkachuk scored on a backhander into the open right side.

Tampa Bay tied the score with 17:15 elapsed in the first as Kucherov stickhandled past Panthers defenders Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe to set up a Guentzel shot from the slot. The puck caromed in off Point's right leg.

The Lightning took their first lead of the series with 6:43 left in the second. Paul's shot deflected off the shot of a Panthers defenseman, and the puck bounced in off of Bobrovsky's skate.

Tampa Bay made it 3-1 just 21 seconds into the third. Kucherov, operating behind the net, dropped a blind pass. With the puck bouncing, Guentzel chopped it past Bobrovsky, who had lost his stick following a collision with a teammate.

With 5:41 left, Yanni Gourde dished to Glendening, who scored on a 2-on-1 rush, making it 4-1.

The Panthers then gambled early on an extra attacker, and the Lightning made them pay with Cirelli's empty-net goal with five minutes left. Guentzel had the primary assist.

However, as that goal was happening, Tkachuk was issue a five-minute major for a vicious open-ice hit on Guentzel.

--Field Level Media