Carter Verhaeghe scored a backhanded goal just under the crossbar 2:59 into overtime as the Florida Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Tuesday night, taking a 2-0 lead in their NHL first-round playoff series.
It was the fifth overtime winner of Verhaeghe’s career, coming on a play where Matthew Tkachuk passed the puck to Anton Lundell, who found Verhaeghe. He waited for Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to commit before lifting the puck over him to end the game.
Sam Bennett, who left the game with an injury in the second period when he appeared to be hit by teammate Brandon Montour’s slap shot, and Vladimir Tarasenko scored for Florida. Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves, including some highlight-reel saves.
Braden Point and Steven Stamkos scored for Tampa Bay, which got two assists from Victor Hedman. Vasilevskiy stopped 34 shots.
Bobrovsky had two wild saves in the second period – one off his mask, the other a no-look dive that he got basically with his back to the play to deny Lightning defenseman Matt Dumba and preserve what was then a 2-2 tie.
The Panthers controlled the opening 15 minutes, just like they did in Game 1, outshooting the Lightning 12-1 and holding a two-goal lead going into the second period.
That’s when the Lightning – who boast a roster loaded with Stanley Cup hoisters – showed their postseason poise. Point scored 48 seconds into the second to cut the lead in half. Stamkos, who was an inch away from a power-play tally in the opening period, got one at 5:48 of the second to tie the game.
Both teams had chances in the third period, but neither could score. The Lightning, who had the best power play in the NHL during the regular season at 28.6%, had a 4-minute man advantage early in the third after Florida’s Eetu Luostarinen was whistled for high-sticking Erik Cernak. Florida killed that off, then had a chance for a power play of its own when Tampa Bay’s Nicholas Paul interfered with Sam Reinhart. The power play lasted just four seconds, as Verhaeghe was called for slashing Tampa Bay’s Luke Glendening.
Game 3 of the series is scheduled for Thursday in Tampa.
