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The Florida Panthers pulled off a late comeback against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4, scoring two goals in 11 seconds to then complete a 4-2 comeback and take a commanding 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Tampa Bay got the fireworks started with their own 11-second barrage as Mitchell Chaffee and Erik Cernak put the Lightning ahead after Anton Lundell opened the scoring for Florida.
Florida answered late in the third period. Aaron Ekblad tied the game at 16:13, then Seth Jones gave the Panthers their first lead of the night 11 seconds later.
Ultimately, Carter Verhaeghe sealed the win with an empty-netter at 18:20.
— x - Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 29, 2025
Following the game, Brad Marchand reflected on the team’s mindset during the comeback.
“Belief is a dangerous thing, and we had that,” Marchand said. “I don’t think we’re sitting on the bench thinking we’re going back [to Tampa] 2-2. We believe that we can make a play. You’re one shot away at that time.”
The Panthers traded for Marchand at the trade deadline after he spent 16 seasons with the Boston Bruins. Through Game 4, Marchand has recorded two assists and a plus-four plus/minus.
Florida coach Paul Maurice also discussed the significance of the comeback with the Panthers in a prime position to advance to the second round.
“We haven’t had a lot of these this year,” Maurice said. “It has been tough. We had key guys out of the lineup. So, we don’t have the history of the comeback and that’s a little tougher.
”It was really important mentally to come back.”
Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday night at Amalie Arena as the Lightning now need to win out the remainder of the series to advance past the Panthers.
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Atlantic Division Team Tied to Future Hall of Famer Erik Karlsson in Trade Talks
Erik Karlsson appears to be on the move at some point in the near future, and now two division rivals have both been tied to the future Hall of Fame blue liner. In two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Erik Karlsson has scored above 50 points in each, but on the defensive end of the ice, his game has taken a steep decline as he enters his mid 30's. With the team missing the post-season for three straight seasons, they appear to be pivoting towards a rebuild, and while Karlsson hasn't starred for them yet, he still makes perfect sense as a trade chip this off-season, with many predicting he'll be on the move. We've seen little movement on that front however, but as of late chatter has picked up a little, with John Shannon naming both Ottawa and Detroit as logical landing spots for the three-time Norris Trophy winner. However, Shannon did note that the Red Wings, with their need for offense from their blue line and their significant group of assets they can part with as the more logical destination of the two, with the team also linked to Rasmus Andersson this off-season as they look to take a leap back into post-season contention. Much has been made of the significant Karlsson contract and how hard it will be to move that, but as of right now, it expires after 2026/27, and for contending teams looking to add an experienced veteran, he's much more affordable than he was once seen as. There's still some time until training camp and the 2025/26 pre-season begins, so there's time for things to turn around significantly, and while it's been quiet on the Karlsson front thus far, with candidates emerging as of late, things could pick up soon.
Phoenix Suns make 'concrete' offer to Golden State Warriors wing Jonathan Kuminga
The Phoenix Suns pursuit for Golden State Warriors wing Jonathan Kuminga is reaching its final stages. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Phoenix and Sacramento Kings have made “concrete” offers to the 22-year-old. Kuminga hasn’t received much interest in restricted free agency but could still make the jump from the Warriors to a different team next season. Charania on Suns interest with Kuminga: “I’m told the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings are two teams that have made concrete offers to the Warriors over the last week or so. They’re two of the most aggressive teams.” Reports have indicated that the Warriors want a first-round pick, a solid role player and no bad contracts. The Suns are lacking in first-round picks but have plenty of role players to offer in a sign-and-trade. Shooting guards Grayson Allen or Royce O’Neale would have to be a part of any trade with Kuminga because of the former lottery pick’s high asking price. Allen makes nearly $17 million, while O’Neale cost around $10 million. The duo are some of the most effective shooters in the NBA and would be a perfect player to play off ball of superstar Stephen Curry. Phoenix has a surplus at shooting guard and wouldn’t lose much positional depth with the departure of the two backcourt players. In 2024-2025, Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 45.4% shooting from the field. The turmoil between the young wing and head coach Steven Kerr boiled over after limited playing time in the playoffs. The DNPs that Kuminga racked up in the playoffs likely has hurt the value of him in free agency and in the trade market, which could help Phoenix in its pursuit.
Why Yankees' trade for All-Star 3B is disappointing
The New York Yankees’ first move ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline falls a bit flat. They traded two prospects most fans have never heard of to acquire Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon, a lackluster move that indicates New York is throwing in the towel on the 2025 season. McMahon is an upgrade — but only a slight one. Yankees GM Brian Cashman replaced a .147 hitter in Oswald Peraza with a .217 hitter in McMahon, who also happens to lead the National League in strikeouts (127). But really, New York just added another Anthony Volpe — one of the biggest problems in the Bombers’ lineup — to the left side of their infield. The two infielders’ 2025 stats tell virtually the same sad tale: McMahon: .217/.314/.403, 16 home runs Volpe: .214/.286/.400, 13 home runs The Yankees should have risked a top prospect or two for Arizona Diamondbacks power-hitting third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A 2026 free agent, Suarez is a rental, but with his .252/.325/.593 slash line, 33 home runs and MLB-leading 86 RBI, he’d be a huge upgrade at third base, rather than a slight one. Instead, the Yankees opted for a player who they’ll have control over until 2028 and cost them almost nothing to acquire. Apparently, they believe McMahon will prove valuable in the long run, based on his advanced analytics. After all, he’s been crushing the ball in 2025, averaging a 94 mph exit velocity. However, his ability to hit the ball hard doesn’t mean he’s just been unlucky this year, as his xBA is just .232 — not too far below his .240 career actual batting average. Compare that to another guy who’s known for hitting the ball hard in Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, who is hitting just .232 but has an xBA of .289. It doesn’t matter how hard McMahon hits the ball if he tends to hit it directly at a fielder. There’s still a week until the trade deadline, but don’t expect the Yankees to make any truly splashy moves. Suarez was the better choice to fix New York’s third base issues, and their pivot to McMahon was disappointing.
Justin Eboigbe continues to track as a breakout player at Chargers training camp
The hype keeps growing for Los Angeles Chargers defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe. Eboigbe was a spotlight earlier this offseason as a possible breakout because of the work he’s put into his body and within the NFL itself. And now it’s a topic showing up in a major way with the right people inside the Chargers organization as training camp gets going. Take, for example, what Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter had to say after a recent practice. “The weight has helped him,” Minter said, according to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper. “He’s been dominant in there at times in different techniques, and I think he’s just got confidence. … When you see that work translate to the field and to how he’s playing, that’s really gratifying for a player, where the hard work that they put in shows up and allows them to play better than they played the year before.” It’s not easy for a player to break into the defensive line rotation right now for the Chargers. Just ask Eboigbe, who didn’t even register 30 snaps last year. Twenty pounds heavier and more experienced this summer, Eboigbe will compete with the likes of free-agent add Da'Shawn Hand to play a bigger role as a sophomore. Overall, the Chargers are really counting on a mix of new arrivals like Hand and upstarts like Eboigbe to boost a front seven that underwent the loss of Joey Bosa, Poona Ford and others this offseason. If Minter likes what he’s seeing so far, though, Eboigbe certainly appears to be on the right track.
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