Lightning 2 – Panthers 1 | This is how we win

(Sunrise) While the Toronto Maple Leafs try to figure out why they keep losing in the playoffs, the Lightning players continue to take hits on the shoulders and sticks, and block shots with all parts of their bodies, including their faces. And like magic, they keep winning!

Miguel Bujold
The Press

The 2-1 victory of the men of Jon Cooper at the expense of the Florida Panthers, Thursday night at Sunrise, is explained very simply. Yes, Andrei Vasilevskiy once again proved he is the best goalkeeper in the world, and yes, Nikita Kucherov served up another of his masterful assists on the winning goal with less than 4 seconds left to play for push the Panthers to the edge of the precipice.

But it is first and foremost because they want to win a little more than their opponents and are willing to suffer to do so that the Lightning could become the first team since the New York Islanders of the beginning. 80s to win the Stanley Cup three years in a row. The two main ingredients of winning teams are almost always the same: superior talent and an irresistible desire to win.

The Panthers? Very disappointing overall.

Best team in the regular season, they played with the intensity of a herbal tea in the first half of the match, Thursday evening. How many good chances to score did they get in the first 30 minutes of play? One or none?

Andrew Brunette’s side played with more determination and a greater sense of urgency from midway through the second half, but where are Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau? The two superstars have only 10 points after 8 playoff games. It’s clearly too little for players of their talent. It’s even worse in the case of Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart, who only have 3 points each.

The difficulties of the Panthers offensive core are highlighted in numerical superiority. An offense that has scored 25 more goals than any other NHL team has been shut out on its 25 power plays since the start of the tournament, including four times on Thursday. With players like Huberdeau, Barkov, Claude Giroux and Aaron Ekblad, it’s beyond understanding, even if the Lightning form one of the best defensive teams in the league when the playoffs start (let’s not forget that…) .

The Panthers will have to find solutions and quickly. A series that promised to be so interesting will turn into a sweep if not.

Colton’s turn

Corey Perry, Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak all got pucks in the face in Game 2 of this Florida series. Truth be told, in Perry’s case, it happened more during the warm-up period. After shooting the puck off a post himself, Perry received the rebound in the side of the head, a cut that looked like it needed stitches.

Perry then scored the first goal of the game, redirecting a fine pass from Steven Stamkos later. Meanwhile, Stamkos left the game on two occasions after blocking shots with his legs. He returned to action, as did Sergachev and Cernak as well.

Ondrej Palat, he probably saved a goal with a superb defensive withdrawal. Ryan McDonagh and Victor Hedman controlled the action in their territory and near Vasilevskiy’s goal. And after Nick Paul and Pierre-Édouard Bellemare in the two previous matches, this time it was Ross Colton who scored the winning goal.

Colton was left alone in front of Sergei Bobrovsky’s goal as defenders Mackenzie Weegar and Gustav Forsling converged on Kucherov behind goal. The magnificent Russian striker served a perfect backhand pass to his teammate to seal it all. A gem of a game from a player who doesn’t get the accolades he deserves.

Vasilevskiy back

It’s doubtful that any team in NHL history has played more games in two years than the Lightning have since resuming in the summer of 2020. But despite the weight of those hundreds of games, the doubles champions continue to play with intelligence, focus, intensity and determination.

Are their Panthers already cooked? Can they realistically close their 0-2 deficit in the series?

Certainly not if their big guns don’t raise their level of play. Bobrovsky hasn’t had much to be ashamed of since the start of the series. So far, the Panthers’ game just isn’t up to par with the Lightning.

And even if the Panthers manage to generate more chances to score, will they break through the wall that Vasilevskiy has been for a week? In his last four games, he hasn’t allowed a goal in the third period. In his last three, he allowed only one goal.

The Maple Leafs were unable to capitalize on Vasilevskiy’s largesse in the first round. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the goalie is back at the top of his game.