The Backcheck: Lightning drop Stanley Cup Playoffs opener to Panthers

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers ended with a victory for the road team at AMALIE Arena.

Despite the Lightning overcoming an early one-goal deficit, Florida scored four straight goals—including three in the second period—to take a 6-2 win.

Tampa Bay will look to even the series when Florida returns to AMALIE Arena for Game 2 on Thursday.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper said his team can rebound from Game 1, one that saw Florida score three times on the power play.

"The series isn't won in one game, so there's a positive. We had a bunch of guys tonight playing their first playoff games, and I thought guys handled it fairly well,” Cooper said. “But in the end we gave up six goals. We’re a pretty decent defensive team, and we have a very good PK and we gave up three on that…In the end, those are areas of strength of ours, so I'm pretty confident we can button those up and we’ll be OK.”

Florida scored the first goal of the series 3:44 into Game 1 when Sam Bennett batted a puck out of midair for a 1-0 lead.

Tampa Bay’s power play tied the game on Jake Guentzel’s first playoff goal as a member of the Lightning. Nikita Kucherov’s one-timer from atop the right faceoff circle was stopped, but Guentzel tucked home the rebound at the right post with four seconds remaining in the power play and 7:39 left in the opening period.

Guentzel became the ninth player in team history to score in their first playoff game with the team, the first since Mitchell Stephens in 2020.

“Every time we score, especially tying it up on a big power play, that’s big for us, get the crowd going,” Lightning captain Victor Hedman said. "And we had a lot of good looks before they scored their second one. So, we’ve just gotta look at the positives but also improve on the stuff that we need to improve on.”

Florida scored with 45 seconds left in the first period on a Sam Reinhart redirection to steal a 2-1 lead through 20 minutes of hockey. Florida then added to its lead in period two.

Defenseman Nate Schmidt found a loose puck near the crease and buried the rebound chance 4:55 into the middle frame for a 3-1 lead. A Lightning challenge on the goal gave the Panthers a power play, and Matthew Tkachuk scored 14 seconds later for a 4-1 lead.

“Our power play comes back and gets one, and I really liked our game,” Cooper said. "And then you know the old cliche: ‘Better watch out for that last minute of the period and the start of the next period.’ And then we give one up at the end and give another one up in the start, and then we're chasing it. So that was tough for us, giving up that last one there. We should have a better response coming into the second, but unfortunately, we didn’t.”

Tkachuk then made it 5-1 on another power-play goal midway through the period.

“They had the momentum there after they got up 2-1, and we obviously didn't have a great start to the second period,” Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “They get one quick and the challenge and whatnot. But it's definitely a salty feeling there. We didn't have a great start to the series like we talked about. But like I said, it's a series here, and we know we can be better, and we've got another level, and we'll find a way to get to that.”

Brayden Point’s first playoff goal of 2025 cut Tampa Bay’s deficit to three goals with 6:56 to play in the period—Point slipped to the left faceoff circle, where he buried a one-timer off a pass by McDonagh. Rookie Gage Goncalves earned his first career NHL playoff point with the secondary assist.

Schmidt’s second goal of the game came on a third period power play for the 6-2 final score. Tkachuk led all players with two goals and an assist for three points, while Schmidt was one of four Panthers that finished with two points each.

Tampa Bay outshot the Panthers 22 to 16 in Game 1. Both Hedman and McDonagh said Tampa Bay needs to be better in Game 2, but there is no panic in the Lightning dressing room.

"We gave up 16 shots, and that's usually a good night, but tonight wasn't that,” Hedman said. “They're a good team, we know they have good players. So for us, it’s all about refocusing, make sure we have a good practice tomorrow and get ready for the next one.”

McDonagh also said the Lightning will use Game 1 as motivation.

"We liked some things about our game, but not enough clearly,” he said. “Anytime you give up six it's a tough feeling, especially in the playoffs...We've got full faith in this group, our coaching staff, everybody will look themselves in the mirror, and we've got to respond now.”

Benjamin’s Three Stars:

1. Matthew Tkachuk, FLA (2 goals, assist)
2. Nate Schmidt, FLA (2 goals)
3. Sam Reinhart, FLA (Goal, assist)