The Tampa Bay Lightning (9-6-2) came into Sunrise needing a win against the Florida Panthers (9-8-1) to keep pace in the playoff race in the tight Eastern Conference. They did just that, winning 3-1, thanks to a third-period go-ahead goal by rookie Jack Finley, his first goal of the season.
Jack Finley got his first @NHL goal (Said he blacked out) 🏒
“It was really cool to share the goal with Sabs and Dougie. I think we’ve only played with each other the last two games, but we’ve been building a little bit of chemistry & those guys led the way tonight.” #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/pYidOktKsM
— Diandra Loux (@Diandra_loux) November 16, 2025
This game was won on the back of Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Panthers out-chanced the Lightning 23-20, but Vasilevskiy was on his A-game in net the entire night. The defensive structure in front of him helped him out tremendously, blocking 14 shots.
Overall, if it weren’t for a goaltender like Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay would’ve lost this game against their cross-state rivals. Tampa Bay was out-chanced, lost more faceoffs (32-25 in favor of the Panthers), and had more minutes in the box (16-14), which helped Florida score their only goal of the night. The Lightning’s power play was ice cold, too, and overall, they’re just one for nine on the man advantage in the last three games.
Related: Lightning Beat Panthers, Grab First Game of Battle of Florida
Tampa Bay now has 20 points and has won eight of its last 10. However, they’re still fifth in the Atlantic, behind the Detroit Red Wings (21), Ottawa Senators (22), Montreal Canadiens (22), and Boston Bruins (24). The Lightning are behind two other teams (Detroit and the Philadelphia Flyers, 21) for a wildcard spot, too. They’re going to need to continue this torrid pace to get back in the playoffs.
Takeaway #1: The Lightning Look Deeper
Tampa Bay’s biggest question entering the season was about depth. Their top two lines and top pairing could beat anyone, but the depth scoring has let them down over the past three seasons.
This season, it appears that using rookies and journeymen has worked in fleshing out the depth. Rookie Dominic James has a goal and three assists through nine games, while Charle-Edouard D’Astous has a goal and four assists through 10 games.
Jack Finley, who played just one NHL game last season, scored his first career goal on Saturday on an impressive breakaway move. As a result, he earned the first star of the game.
Jack Finley first NHL goal! 💪
What a shift by the @TBLightning‘s big fourth line! pic.twitter.com/15vvRBe4TV
— NHL (@NHL) November 16, 2025
If Tampa Bay can keep earning contributions from James, D’Astous, and Finley, the Lightning will be a much deeper team come playoff time.
Takeaway #2: Brayden Point Is in a Slump
It hasn’t been all good news for the Lightning on the winning streak. Superstar center Brayden Point is not having a good season. So far, Point has tallied just three goals and six assists through 17 games, with a minus-10 plus/minus.
His last eight games have highlighted the slump he’s been on. Point has just a goal and an assist in his last nine games. He’s not shooting the puck as often, with his one-goal game against the Colorado Avalanche marking the only time in this nine-game span that he’s had four or more shots. He isn’t winning faceoffs, either, with his 44.2% faceoff win percentage marking the lowest tally of his career so far.
Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
The depth of Tampa Bay stepping up has masked the schnide that Point is on. However, for the Lightning to be at their best, they need Point to go back to his scoring ways.
Takeaway #3: AHL Call-ups Saved the Day on PK
Right before this matchup, Jakob Pelletier was called up from the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League (AHL) to play in this game. Boris Katchouk and Scott Sabourin earned that promotion two games before this matchup.
All three of them have contributed to the Lightning already. Sabourin has a point and an assist through two games, while Katchouk and Pelletier have been effective on the penalty kill.
Head coach Jon Cooper highlighted their contributions to the team after Tampa Bay’s win, according to Benjamin Pierce:
The theme tonight from #GoBolts coach Jon Cooper’s postgame audio file? A team effort and stepping up.
Mentioned Pelletier getting off a plane at midnight and playing, said Katchouk was “huge” on the PK.
“You’re not going to get by with 21, 22 guys all year, and our depth has…
— Benjamin Pierce (@BenjaminJReport) November 16, 2025
Pelletier thrived in the AHL before his call-up to Tampa Bay, notching five goals and a team-leading nine assists with the Crunch. It’s great that his hard work is paying off, and the Lightning have been better off from it. Overall, the main theme has been the depth coming through for Tampa Bay, and it’s been a big reason for this winning streak.
Tampa Bay plays the Vancouver Canucks (8-9-2) on Sunday, the New Jersey Devils (13-4-1) on Tuesday, and the Edmonton Oilers (9-7-4) on Thursday. All of those games are at home, so if Tampa Bay can keep up the momentum, they could find themselves back in the playoff picture come Saturday.
