SUNRISE — The first two games between the Panthers and Lightning (during the regular season) were relatively quiet affairs.
The rivalry got back to the good stuff on Saturday night.
Both the Panthers and Lightning went at it again but it was Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Lightning heading home with a 4-2 win.
The Lightning has won both games against the Panthers in Sunrise this season; Florida is 1-0 in Tampa.
Saturday, the Panthers took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Eetu Luostarinen by the front of the net before the Lightning scored three straight goals.
A power play goal by Brad Marchand at 7:05 of the second gave Florida life — but that was all the Panthers got past Vasilevskiy.
The Panthers went 1-11 on the power play with the Lightning racking up 87 penalty minutes — although 26 of that belongs to Scott Sabourin including 12 late. He got hit with a pair of misconducts in the third period alone.
Overall, the Panthers had 49 penalty minutes.
The Panthers are back in action Monday against the Washington Capitals.
GOALS OF THE GAME
Panthers 1, Lightning 0 (5:37 1st): Mackie Samoskevich sends a pass through traffic that gets clipped by two Tampa Bay defenders — but Eetu Luostarinen swats at the puck off Anthony Cirelli’s stick and scores.
Lightning 1, Panthers 1 (13:05 1st SH): Jake Guentzel gets loose on a breakaway and beats Sergei Bobrovsky by going under the glove.
Lightning 2, Panthers 1 (19:52 1st): The Panthers turn the puck over in the neutral zone and Pontus Holmberg rolls in and beats Bobrovsky low.
Lightning 3, Panthers 1 (2:31 2nd): Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov fly in on the 2-on-1, Kucherov doing the honors.
Lightning 3, Panthers 2 (7:05 2nd PP): The Panthers play a little tic-tac-toe, Sam Reinhart feeding Sam Bennett in the slot with Bennett getting it to Brad Marchand for the one-timer from the bottom of the right circle. Florida scores 6 seconds into the power play.
Lightning 4, Panthers 2 (19:04 3rd EN): Kucherov gets another to salt this one away.
FHN’S 3 STARS
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning
2. Nikita Kucherov, Lightning
3. Brad Marchand, Panthers
ON DECK: GAME No. 38
WASHINGTON CAPITALS at FLORIDA PANTHERS
