Brayden Point’s goal, 2 assists help Lightning beat Panthers 5-1
Brayden Point’s goal, 2 assists help Lightning beat Panthers 5-1
Florida Panthers goaltender Vitek Vanecek (41) makes a save on a shot by Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers with center Brayden Point (21) and center Yanni Gourde (37) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers left wing Jonah Gadjovich (12) clears the puck away from Tampa Bay Lightning center Conor Geekie (14) in front of goaltender Vitek Vanecek (41) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) cuts around Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) and right wing Jesse Puljujarvi (20) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning with center Carter Verhaeghe (23) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning center Gage Goncalves (93) goes low under Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) gets around Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel (59) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) tries to move the puck arpund Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) and defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers center Nico Sturm (8) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Zemgus Girgensons (28) fight during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers left wing Jonah Gadjovich (12) strips the puck from Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) and defenseman Victor Hedman (77) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers goaltender Vitek Vanecek (41) makes a save on a shot by Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers goaltender Vitek Vanecek (41) makes a save on a shot by Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers with center Brayden Point (21) and center Yanni Gourde (37) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers with center Brayden Point (21) and center Yanni Gourde (37) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers left wing Jonah Gadjovich (12) clears the puck away from Tampa Bay Lightning center Conor Geekie (14) in front of goaltender Vitek Vanecek (41) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers left wing Jonah Gadjovich (12) clears the puck away from Tampa Bay Lightning center Conor Geekie (14) in front of goaltender Vitek Vanecek (41) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) cuts around Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) and right wing Jesse Puljujarvi (20) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) cuts around Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) and right wing Jesse Puljujarvi (20) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning with center Carter Verhaeghe (23) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning with center Carter Verhaeghe (23) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning center Gage Goncalves (93) goes low under Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning center Gage Goncalves (93) goes low under Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) gets around Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel (59) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) gets around Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel (59) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) tries to move the puck arpund Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) and defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) tries to move the puck arpund Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) and defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers center Nico Sturm (8) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Zemgus Girgensons (28) fight during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers center Nico Sturm (8) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Zemgus Girgensons (28) fight during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers left wing Jonah Gadjovich (12) strips the puck from Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) and defenseman Victor Hedman (77) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Panthers left wing Jonah Gadjovich (12) strips the puck from Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) and defenseman Victor Hedman (77) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brayden Point had a goal and two assists to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-1 victory against the Florida Panthers on Thursday.
Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assists and Yanni Gourde added two assists. Conor Geekie, Jake Guentzel and Darren Raddysh also scored for Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 23 shots.
Brad Marchand scored for Florida, which finished its regular season schedule. Vitek Vanecek finished with 26 saves.
The teams will meet in the opening round of the playoffs starting this weekend.
Tampa Bay scored three goals in the first period, with Point scoring 1:32 into the game. Geekie made it 2-0 with 4:35 left before Guentzel scored shorthanded with 1:51 to play in the period.
Kucherov made it 4-0 almost five minutes into the second, but Marchand answered about a minute later.
Raddysh scored a 5-on-3 power=play goal with 8:38 to play moments after Florida’s Jesse Puljujarvi was assessed a match penalty for an illegal check to the head to Mitchell Chaffee.
Takeaways
Panthers: Florida played without regulars Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Gustav Forsling, Anton Lundell and A.J. Greer. … Marchand’s goal is his second since joining the Panthers.
Lightning: Geekie has two goals in two games since being recalled from AHL Syracuse. … Victor Hedman recorded his fourth 50-assisst season. … Anthony Cirelli recorded his 23rd career shorthanded point.
Key moment
Tampa Bay was up 2-0 late in the first period when Brandon Hagel took a double-minor to negate a Lightning power play. But seven seconds into the Florida power play, Cirelli won a puck battle against Seth Jones and fed Guentzel in front for a short-handed goal to make it 3-0.
Key stat
Kucherov reached the 120-point mark for the second consecutive season and third time in his career to become just the 14th player in NHL history with three-or-more seasons of at least 120 points.
Up Next
The Lightning finish the regular season at the New York Rangers on Thursday while the Panthers await Game 1 of their opening-round series against Tampa Bay.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl