SUNRISE, Fla. — The Lightning have struggled to manufacture offense in 5-on-5 play this season, and it’s one of the reasons they stumbled out of the gate.
The team entered the third period Friday night with just one 5-on-5 goal in the past three games. Tampa Bay pushed against the Panthers at FLA Live Arena, but couldn’t find the net.
Then Nikita Kucherov flung a puck from inside the blue line that Brayden Point redirected into the net with his stick blade, giving the Lightning a much-needed even-strength goal to tie the score at 2 with 10:31 left in the third.
Point scored in front on a 4-on-3 power play in overtime, giving the Lightning a 3-2 win.
The game-winning goal came after Matthew Tkachuk was assessed a double minor for slashing Kucherov into the boards. Victor Hedman came to Kucherov’s rescue and was assessed a roughing penalty.
The Lightning played one of their better games of this young season, overcoming an early flurry of shots that tested goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Tampa Bay has also struggled in the faceoff circle this season. The Lightning entered the night third to last in the league in faceoff win percentage and that has hindered their ability to possess the puck. But they opened the second period 12-for-12 on faceoffs before allowing the go-ahead goal on one of the few lost draws in that frame.
After Stamkos was thrown out of the faceoff circle, Vladislav Namestnikov lost a defensive zone draw. Brandon Montour’s shot was blocked, and the puck skipped in front of the net, where Panthers forward Rudolfs Balcers drove to the net with an inside edge on Mikhail Sergachev, collected the puck and put it in past Vasilevskiy’s extended left leg with 4:23 left in the second.
Stamkos put the Lightning up 1-0 with a power-play goal with 6:56 left in the first on a lunging one-timer from the left circle. The Lightning caught Florida shorthanded when Eetu Loustarinen broke his stick and went to retrieve another, and Kucherov found Stamkos open coming across the left circle.
Stamkos’ goal was his seventh of the season, setting a franchise record for most through the first five games of the season, breaking Chris Kontos’ record of six.
Florida evened the score two minutes and 44 seconds later when Tkachuk redirected a Montour’s shot into the net past Vasilevskiy.
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