Barkov, Verhaeghe Carry the Panthers to Game Five Triumph to Eliminate the Lightning
With the series shifting back to Sunrise, Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers squared off in Game Five of their first-round series. Heading into Game Five, the Panthers were aiming to claim their first playoff series victory over the Lightning in the battle of the Sunshine State after losing their two previous playoff series in 2020 and 2021. Meanwhile, the Lightning were trying to keep their season alive as they looked to force a Game Six back in Tampa. However, a two-goal effort by Panthers’ captain Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe would help propel the Panthers to a 6-1 victory over the Lightning in Game Five to advance to the second round.
In the first period, the Lightning appeared to have gotten on the scoreboard after Victor Hedman’s shot from the top of the offensive zone ricocheted off of Sergei Bobrovsky’s pads and Anthony Cirelli banked the puck into the net. However, after a goalie interference challenge by the Panthers, the goal would be taken off the board as it was deemed Anthony Duclair interfered with Bobrovsky’s ability to move within the crease. In the second period, during a 4-on-4, the Panthers would claim the first goal of the game to take a 1-0 lead, only 45 seconds into the frame, after Verhaeghe slap-shot the puck on the rush and buried his own rebound past Andrei Vasilevskiy and into the net. Midway through the second period, at 12:38, the Panthers would extend their lead to 2-0 despite being short-handed on the penalty kill as Vasilevskiy mishandled a shot by Aaron Ekblad and Panthers’ captain Aleksander Barkov would bank in the loose puck near the front of the net past Vasilevskiy’s outstretched glove. Only 59 seconds later, the Lightning would trim their deficit to 2-1, after Hedman sent a slap-shot from the top of the zone past Bobrovsky’s right side.
In the third period, the Panthers would extend their lead to 3-1 with 8:54 remaining, as Barkov would score his second goal of the night after Verhaeghe’s shot from the right circle bounced off Vasilevskiy’s pads and Barkvov would tap-in the puck into the net. With 3:57 remaining in the game, the Panthers would score two goals, one minute apart. Evan Rodrigues would score on a slap shot to make it 4-1, and Verhaeghe would score his second goal of the game on an empty-net goal to make it 5-1 and put the dagger in the Lightning's season. With 1:10 remaining, Niko Mikkola would score an empty netter to seal the Panthers' 6-1 victory against the Lightning. The Panthers will now head onto the Eastern Conference semifinals and await the winner of the Bruins-Maple Leafs series.
