Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk sounds off after eliminating Lightning

Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers could not break through in the first period on Monday. To their credit, the Lightning failed to score in the opening frame, as well. In the second, though, Florida found their spark. Carter Verhaeghe scored his fourth goal of the series to make it a 1-0 game.

Aleksander Barkov added to the Panthers’ lead later in the period. However, the Lightning weren’t going away quietly. Star defenseman Victor Hedman scored his first goal of the series to give Tampa Bay a lifeline. Unfortunately, that was all they’d get in this contest.

Barkov and Verhaeghe each scored their second goal of the game in a four-goal third period. When the final horn blared, the Panthers won 6-1. Florida secured a trip to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Lightning, meanwhile, head for an offseason full of question marks and tough decisions.

Florida happy to get the best of Tampa

One common theme in the post-game media availability on Monday night was how happy the Panthers were to have won this series. Specifically, they expressed their joy at having finally beaten the Lightning. Tampa Bay had defeated Florida in 2021 and 2022 en route to the Stanley Cup Final those years.

“When there is one team that always kind of beats you in the playoffs, both times in similar situations where we had home-ice advantage, you want to beat them, get over that hump,” Barkov said, via NHL.com. “We respected them. They have been unbelievable in past years. … There is a lot to learn from that team and that organization. So, it definitely feels great now to be able to beat them.’’

Now, the Panthers are moving on to the second round. And, as Matthew Tkachuk pointed out, they have a tough matchup ahead. Florida will face either the Boston Bruins or Toronto Maple Leafs. Boston currently holds a 3-1 series lead over Toronto with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday.

The Panthers are hoping to go on a deep run as they did in 2023. On Monday, they cleared their first hurdle by defeating the Lightning. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how they handle their future challenges over the course of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.