TAMPA, Fla. — A standout performance by Eetu Luostarinen, who recorded a goal and three assists, propelled the Florida Panthers to a decisive 6-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This victory clinched the first-round series for Florida, sending them to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Scoring for Florida were Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, and Sam Reinhart. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was solid in net, making 26 saves. The Panthers, having reached the Stanley Cup Final the previous year, eliminated their in-state rivals in five games in the first round for the second consecutive postseason.
Florida is now set to compete against the winner of the series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators. Toronto currently holds a 3-2 lead in that matchup.
For Tampa Bay, goals were scored by Nick Paul, Gage Goncalves, and Jake Guentzel. Andrei Vasilevskiy finished the game with 25 saves. After making three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final from 2020 to 2022, the Lightning have now faced first-round elimination for three consecutive seasons. Their recent playoff struggles at home are evident, as they have lost nine of their last ten home playoff games.
