Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito brought in Kevin Stenlund during the offseason to help shore up the team’s lackluster penalty kill. That part of the game is one of Florida’s most improved, and it has been on display in this opening-round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Last season, Florida’s PK finished an anemic 76.0 percent, ranked 23rd in the NHL. It was unacceptable. Stenlund was a skilled specialist who flew under the radar. Never was his value more apparent than in Thursday’s 5-3 win over the Lightning in Game 3. That put Florida a win away from a s ..read more

TAMPA —Near the end of the regular season, the depth players on the Florida Panthers had the chance to compete for a spot in the regular playoff rotation. And it only brought them more solidarity. ”It’s no secret,” Steven Lorentz said. “Depth wins championships and you need guys to contribute.” They certainly did just that on Thursday night. Helped along greatly from both their stars and role players alike, the Panthers beat the Lightning 5-3 in Game 3 of this first-round playoff series. Florida is now in complete control of the best-of-7 series, and can sweep the Lightning out of th ..read more

TAMPA — The mantra of the Tampa Bay Lightning before Game 3 of its playoff series against the Florida Panthers Thursday was ‘Don’t Count Us Out.’ The Panthers are doing that themselves. Florida is on the verge of slaying its personal dragon, taking a commanding lead in its best-of-7 first-round series after dropping the Lightning 5-3. The Panthers can end this thing in a sweep on Saturday. Florida, which has not had a 3-0 series lead since, well, the 2023 Eastern Conference finals, had a couple of moments where its will was tested by a veteran Lightning team. Only the Panthers came out the oth ..read more

TAMPA — For the first time since 2016, Kyle Okposo will lace ‘em up in a playoff game. And it will come as a member of the Florida Panthers, the team he helped knock out of the postseason eight years ago, when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning for Game 3. With Ryan Lomberg in ‘quarantine’ and out with an illness, and Sam Bennett out with an upper-body injury, Okposo will get the opportunity he was searching for when he was traded to Florida at the trade deadline. After eight years as a leader on a struggling Buffalo Sabres team, he finally gets the call and returns to ..read more

TAMPA — The Florida Panthers will again be without Ryan Lomberg when they play the host Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 tonight. Lomberg played in Game 1 but came down with something and has not been on the ice since. Coach Paul Maurice joked Wednesday that Lomberg could “bribe” his way onto the plane — and apparently, the Panthers thought better of that. Lomberg did not travel with the team to Tampa and is being kept away from them as a precaution. He is in Tampa, presumably at the team hotel. “We have a window of him not being around the guys but feeling good,’’ Maurice said. “He is here; he c ..read more

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers’ forward depth will be tested in this playoff series against the Lightning with Sam Bennett out for the time being. Florida has already proven it has the defensive depth to compete at a high level. Last summer, Radko Gudas left for greener pastures in southern California. The Panthers knew both Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour would miss the start of the season due to surgery. Only general manager Bill Zito stocked up by acquiring several bargain-priced but effective blueliners. Oliver Ekman-Larsson was coming off injuries and a historically large buyout. Hi ..read more

With Sam Bennett to miss at least a week due to injury, the Florida Panthers now need Anton Lundell to step up and fill his role on the second line. The 22-year-old has shown to be more than capable of doing so. Lundell finished with four goals and six points in his final seven regular season games. After a season of ups and downs, his confidence is peaking at the right time. “I‘ve been able to step up my game even more,” Lundell said. “I’m just trying to work hard and believe good things will happen when I do the right things.” Lundell got his first point of the playoffs in style, too. I ..read more

SUNRISE — On Wednesday afternoon, Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice said he did not have to search out the magnificent save Sergei Bobrovsky made the night before against Matt Dumba of the Tampa Bay Lightning. “It’s just everywhere,” Maurice quipped. “You can’t open your computer, turn on the TV without seeing it ten times.’’ By now, the entire sporting world has seen Bobrovsky’s sprawling save from Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime win against the Lightning in Game 2. At the time of ‘The Save’ — it came at 14:02 of the second period — the game was tied at 2. Tampa Ba ..read more

SUNRISE — Sam Bennett was having a playoff game for the ages on Tuesday night. Then, things went south for the Florida Panthers center. After scoring the opening goal and setting up Vladimir Tarasenko for the second, Bennett caught a slapshot from teammate Brandon Montour either in the hand or wrist early in the second period of the Panthers eventual 3-2 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bennett immediately dropped his stick, grabbed his arm, and skated off the ice. He did not return to the game. “He was rolling,’’ coach Paul Maurice said afterward, “and that line was good.” Mauri ..read more

SUNRISE — Florida Panthers captain Sasha Barkov said he was proud of the way his team fought throughout yet another tough battle against rival Tampa Bay on Tuesday night. Florida took a two-goal lead into the second period, only to watch the Lightning tie the score early in the second period. The Panthers, helped along by some terrific saves by goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, stayed in the battle — killing off a four-minute penalty in the third — and pulled out a 3-2 win in overtime. Florida takes a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series to Tampa. Game 3 is at Amalie Arena on Thursday at 7. ”That was a fun ..read more