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04/23 22:49 CDT Verhaeghe scores OT winner, Bobrovsky makes some fantastic
saves, and Panthers top Lightning 3-2
Verhaeghe scores OT winner, Bobrovsky makes some fantastic saves, and Panthers
top Lightning 3-2
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) --- Sergei Bobrovsky stopped a shot with his mask, then made
a diving, no-look save that they'll remember in Florida for a long time.
And Carter Verhaeghe made sure his goalie's highlight-reel work came in a win.
Verhaeghe --- making some history of his own --- lifted a backhander just under
the crossbar 2:59 into overtime, and the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay
Lightning 3-2 on Tuesday night for a 2-0 lead in their NHL first-round playoff
series.
"It just takes one shot in these moments," Verhaeghe said after Florida won its
11th consecutive OT playoff game --- the second-longest such streak in NHL
history.
Verhaeghe became the sixth player in NHL history with at least five playoff
overtime gamewinners. This one came on a play where Matthew Tkachuk got the
puck to Anton Lundell --- who found Verhaeghe. He waited for Tampa Bay goalie
Andrei Vasilevskiy to commit, then put the puck over him to end it.
The only players in NHL history with more playoff OT gamewinners than Verhaeghe
are Joe Sakic with eight, and Maurice "Rocket" Richard with six.
"Being in the conversation with those guys, that's pretty crazy," Verhaeghe
said.
Added Panthers coach Paul Maurice, when told that stat: "Whoa. That's pretty
good."
Sam Bennett, who left with an injury in the second period when he appeared to
get hit by teammate Brandon Montour's slap shot, and Vladimir Tarasenko scored
for Florida. Bobrovsky stopped 21 shots, 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.
"Both goalies made some amazing saves," Stamkos said. "Game could have ended a
lot earlier, probably."'
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.
And it stayed that way, all the way until the sudden end.
"It's a big, big win for us," Bobrovsky said.
It was 2-0 Florida after one, with Bennett scoring at 6:16 --- the Lightning
unsuccessfully challenged that goal for goaltender interference --- and
Tarasenko connecting nearly nine minutes later. The Panthers controlled the
opening 15 minutes, just like they did in Game 1, outshooting the Lightning
12-1 and the two-goal lead held up going into the second period.
That's when the Lightning --- who boast a roster loaded with Stanley Cup
hoisters --- showed their postseason poise.
"Unfortunately for us, we're finding ourselves behind in both games," Lightning
coach Jon Cooper said, after his team fell for the 11th time in its last 12
playoff overtime contests. "It's a tough league to come back in, especially in
the playoffs.
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. It was his patented one-timer, just like
the one he took a period earlier that got past Bobrovsky's glove but hit the
goalpost with such force that the rebound skipped all the way out of the zone.
So, Florida had lost two things --- the lead, and Bennett. He left early in the
second period, seeming to hold his wrist, and went directly toward the
Panthers' locker room as soon as he got off the ice. He did not return, with
the Panthers calling it an upper-body injury. Maurice said he'll be evaluated
Wednesday.
But Panthers found a way to take a 2-0 lead, after going 2-8 in their two
previous playoff series with their in-state rivals --- who now head home
needing to protect home ice.
"There's a ton of resiliency in that group," Cooper said.
A lot in the Panthers too, and Verhaeghe showed that --- again.
"Chucky made an awesome play, Lundy made an awesome play," Verhaeghe said. "I
just finished it."
UP NEXT
Game 3 is Thursday in Tampa.
___
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and
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