3 burning questions as Lightning go into Game 3 against Panthers

TAMPA — The Lightning could draw plenty of positives from the first two games of their first-round series against the Panthers. But after falling into a 2-0 hole after a pair of one-goal losses on the road, there were no moral victories to take into Game 3 Thursday at Amalie Arena.

The team that’s used its “process over outcome” mantra through good times and bad now needs results.

“We’re playing some pretty good hockey in here,” left wing Brandon Hagel said. “… But pretty good is not going to be good enough. Getting a win is good enough at this point in the series, and you’ve got to go in and still have belief and come into that Game 3 knowing this thing is far from over..”

There hasn’t been a huge difference between the team’s play, though Florida has taken control of both games early, forcing Tampa Bay to come from behind. Both teams have yielded few scoring chances and gotten superb goaltending. They’ve played physical while managing to control their emotions.

Ultimately, the Panthers’ clutch gene, developed while advancing to the Stanley Cup final last season (as the Lightning did in previous postseasons), has been the difference.

“It’s been a Florida-Tampa series that’s basically taken right off from the ones that have been in the past. Really exciting. You’re on the edge of your seat,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “There’s big saves on both ends of the ice. But in the end, they made the last play, and they’ve done it both nights. And we can’t hang our hat on, ‘Well, we were close.’ That’s what teams that are playing golf right now are saying”

Here are three burning questions going into Game 3.

What can Lightning learn from their past?

The Lightning lost the first two games on the road in the 2022 Eastern Conference final against the Rangers but were able to rebound on home ice. They won 3-2 in Game 3 on their way to four straight wins to eliminate New York and seal a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup final.

Cooper said the off day between Games 2 and 3 was crucial for his team.

“It was a big day in our coaching staff room,” he said. “But much like that year, we felt there was a formula and it was just a matter of adhering to it. The one thing I hate doing in situations like this is saying, ‘Well, we did it then, we’re going to do it now.’ We can do it now, but what we did back then, we just played a one-game series. We didn’t sit here and say, ‘Oh my gosh, now we’re down two.’

Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene

Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter

We’ll send you news and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Florida’s college football teams every day.

Loading...

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

“We’re not going to win two games (Thursday) night. We’ve just got to win one. That was much the attitude we had back then, and it just kind of snowballed after that.”

The Lightning trailed 2-0 midway through Game 3 but got power-play goals from Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos to tie the score before winning on Ondrej Palat’s goal with 42 seconds left. Palat, who was one of the Lightning’s most clutch playoff players, is gone, but this team can duplicate the 2022 squad’s will to win.

Where is MVP candidate Nikita Kucherov?

After a regular season in which Kucherov gave the Lightning everything they needed when they needed it, scoring 44 goals and setting a franchise record with 144 points, Kucherov has been locked down by the Panthers.

He has no goals, two assists and just three shots on goal through two games after ending the regular season averaging more than two points per game over the final 17. Like most of his teammates, he’s struggled to find the net, as nine of his 12 attempts have either been off target or been blocked.

The Panthers, the best defensive team in the league in the regular season, have taken away Kucherov’s space on the ice, and because of that he probably has tried too much to make plays with that extra pass.

Cooper would like to see him shoot more, much like he did earlier in the season when he had to carry the Lightning offense.

“I truly believe Kuch is at his best when he’s shooting the puck, and I think that for all our players would help,” Cooper said. “We’re shooting pucks, but they’re not hitting the net. I think that would be a big thing for us, maybe a little bit more volume at their goalie. He’s made some spectacular saves. But his percentages say the more you get at him, the more possibility they could go in..”

What’s going on with Tanner Jeannot?

When the Lightning acquired Jeannot for five draft picks at the 2023 trade deadline, it was to play in tight-checking, physical games like these.

Doling out punishment is his strength, so why was he mysteriously absent from the lineup in Game 2? And why did Cooper feel playing with one fewer forward and one extra defenseman gave the Lightning their best chance to win?

Jeannot didn’t make much of an impact over the final 13 games of the regular season after returning from a lower-body injury. In a Game 1 that featured a combined 116 hits, his physicality didn’t stand out. Of the Lightning’s 60 hits, he had only three while playing a team-low 11 shifts.

Unlike some of the teams’ previous postseason meetings, the Panthers have figured out how to be both physical and disciplined. The teams are hitting, but they aren’t really punishing each other, and they aren’t fighting. There’s not much need for an enforcer like Jeannot if he isn’t standing out in other ways.

So, was Jeannot a healthy scratch in Game 2, or was he injured? He was a full practice participant Monday, and there wasn’t any indication he was hurt.

Times staff writer Rick Stroud contributed to this story.

• • •

Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Instagram, X and Facebook.