Panthers top Lightning 4-1
TAMPA - Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen scored 1:41 apart late in the first period, and the Florida Panthers ended the Tampa Bay Lightning's home points streak at 16 games with a 4-1 victory on Tuesday night.
Eric Staal and Anthony Duclair also scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves for the Panthers, who have alternated wins and losses in their past nine games.
Brayden Point scored a second-period power-play goal and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 37 saves for the Lightning, who had been 14-0-2 at Amalie Arena since their last regulation loss at home, 4-2 to the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 6.
The Panthers took a 1-0 lead 6:19 into the game when Staal deflected Josh Mahura's point shot past Vasilevskiy. It was the 453rd goal of the 38-year-old center's career and his 35th against the Lightning, the most he's scored against any team.
Florida continued to carry the play and made it 2-0 at 15:56 when Lundell picked up a misplayed puck along the right boards, cut into the slot and beat Vasilevskiy. Luostarinen was left alone in the slot, picked up a loose puck and scored at 17:37 for a 3-0 lead, and only a successful challenge for goaltender interference with three seconds remaining kept Florida from taking a four-goal lead. The Panthers outshot the Lightning 13-0 in the final 15:21 of the period.
The Lightning had an apparent goal by Nick Perbix at 6:00 of the second period negated when the Panthers successfully challenged that the play was offside. Tampa Bay got one that counted at 11:39 when Point converted a pass from Steven Stamkos for his 37th goal of the season and 14th on the power play. But Stamkos' apparent power-play goal at 3:02 of the third period was negated by a successful challenge for goalie interference.
Duclair hit the empty net with five seconds remaining.
Forward Tanner Jeannot, acquired by the Lightning from the Nashville Predators on Sunday, was scoreless in his Tampa Bay debut.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Begin a seven-game homestand by hosting Nashville on Thursday.
Lightning: Host Pittsburgh on Thursday.
