The Lightning are looking more and more like themselves as the regular season comes to a close, and Sunday’s win in Sunrise over their in-state rival was no exception.
With an 8-4 victory over the Panthers, the Lightning have outscored their past three opponents — Florida, Nashville and Toronto — by a combined 22-7.
The victory, the Lightning’s fifth in six games, ended the Panthers’ 13-game winning streak and evened the season series at two games apiece.
The Lightning (49-22-8, 106 points), currently third in the Atlantic Division, remain five points behind the second-place Maple Leafs (111 points) in their battle for playoff seeding in the Eastern Conference.
Here are three things we learned from the Lightning’s win.
A welcome respite
With three games remaining before the playoffs begin, the Lightning are getting their guys rest where and when they can.
Anthony Cirelli sat out Sunday, resulting in Tampa Bay going with 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the third straight game. Brayden Point missed Thursday’s game against the Leafs, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare sat out Saturday against the Predators.
With an extra blueliner in the lineup, Cal Foote has taken advantage of the extra time on ice. He scored his second goal of the season with just over five minutes remaining in the first period, giving the Lightning a 3-1 lead.
Top players clicking at right time
The Lightning’s slump earlier this month prompted questions about their ability to advance far into the postseason. But Sunday’s game proved that they have plenty of gas left in the tank for a third straight Stanley Cup run.
Ten different skaters found the scoresheet, led by Nikita Kucherov with five points, including two goals. Steven Stamkos (two goals) and Victor Hedman each had four points, and Nick Paul (two goals), Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel added two apiece.
Stamkos extended his multipoint-game streak to six with two goals and two assists. He’s recorded five goals and 12 assists since the team’s overtime win over the Ducks on April 14.
Kucherov, meanwhile, scored his eighth goal over the past six games. He has scored at least one goal in 10 of his past 12 games.
Paul continues to impress
Nick Paul could end up on SportsCenter with the highlight-reel goal he scored just over five minutes into the second period.
With the score tied at 3 and just under a minute remaining in a Panthers’ power play, Brandon Hagel beat Aleksander Barkov in a race to the puck and made a backhand pass from below the Florida goal line to the trailing Paul. Paul played the puck back through his legs as he skated through the slot and beat goaltender Spencer Knight with a backhand shot from between his legs, putting the Lightning ahead 4-3.
Paul scored again just over seven minutes later, as his pass for Alex Killorn was inadvertently knocked into the net by Knight, who was replaced by Sergei Bobrovsky following the goal.
