First round: Lightning-Panthers Game 3 live updates

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Ryan Lomberg scores less than six minutes into overtime to lift the Panthers to a 6-5 victory over the Lightning in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series at Amalie Arena.

Tampa Bay continues to lead the best-of-seven series, two games to one.

Gustav Forsling scored with just over three minutes remaining in regulation to force overtime.

Anthony Cirelli, Ross Colton, Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point and Alex Killorn scored in the second period as the Lightning rallied from a two-goal deficit to take a 5-3 lead into the third.

Cirelli, who hadn’t scored in 28 games dating back to the regular season, scored in the first few minutes of the second period to put Tampa Bay on the scoreboard. Less than four minutes later, Colton netted his first career postseason goal as Yanni Gourde provided a screen in front.

Ryan McDonagh set up the third goal, cutting off a pass in the neutral zone, skating down the left side boards and then centering a pass for Stamkos, who redirected the puck past Chris Driedger from the low slot to give Tampa Bay a brief 3-2 lead.

Alexander Wennberg’s power-play goal later in the period tied the game at 3, but Tampa Bay struck right back on Point’s power-play goal from the slot after a feed from Nikita Kucherov. Killorn added another power-play goal shortly thereafter.

Patric Hornqvist’s power-play goal early in the third brought the Panthers back to 5-4.

Sam Bennett and Radko Gudas scored in the first period to stake Florida to a 2-0 lead. Bennett scored off a nice feed from Jonathan Huberdeau, while Gudas put back his own rebound.

Here’s how it happened:

Overtime

The Lightning will begin the period with 1:37 remaining on the power play

Giveaway by Alex Killorn as the Lightning have trouble getting set up in the Panthers zone

Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos shoot wide of the net

Panthers kill the penalty

Sergei Bobrovsky makes a glove save on Ross Colton

Mikhail Sergachev hits the post with a one-timer from the left point

Vasilevskiy saves a blast from Radko Gudas from the right point

Vasilevskiy stops Aleksander Barkov from the doorstep

Vasilevskiy stops and holds Gudas shot at the side of the net

Bobrovsky smothers Colton shot from the top of the circle after a nice pass from Sergachev

PANTHERS GOAL: Ryan Lomberg scores on a breakaway to win it, beating Vasilevskiy glove side

Third period

Sergei Bobrovsky replaces Chris Driedger in the Florida net

Ondrej Palat penalized for boarding Mason Marchment

PANTHERS GOAL: Patric Honqvist scores a power-play goal on deflection off his left skate between Vasilevskiy’s feet. Lightning 5, Panthers 4.

The Panthers net comes off its moorings after a jam attempt by Blake Coleman

Bobrovsky stops Victor Hedman blast from the point

Tyler Johnson appears to be pulled down by Bobrovsky in the paint trying to follow up a Mathieu Joseph shot

Bobrovsky makes a blocker save on a wrist shot from Brayden Point

Nikita Kucherov nearly gets free on a breakaway, but Radko Gudas breaks up the play

Vasilevskiy gloves Brandon Montour drive from the left circle

Anthony Duclair shot goes off the crossbar

PANTHERS GOAL: Gustav Forsling ties the game from the high slot with 3:07 left. Four Lightning players got caught in the right corner. Lightning 5, Panthers 5.

Anthony Duclair penalized for cross-checking Steven Stamkos into the boards with 22.4 seconds left

(Lightning and Panthers are tied at 5 after regulation)

Second period

Frank Vatrano nearly had a shot into an empty net

Andrei Vasilevskiy makes a save on a quick shot from Carter Verhaeghe

LIGHTNING GOAL! Anthony Cirelli, who hadn’t scored in his final 26 regular-season games, ends his long drought by scoring from the doorstop, putting back a Victor Hedman shot from the left point. Panthers 2, Lightning 1.

Andrei Vasilevskiy stops a couple of chances from Anthony Duclair and another from Noel Acciari

Andrei Vasilevskiy stops Carter Verhaeghe from close range

Vasilevskiy stops shot from Owen Tippett after long stretch pass

LIGHTNING GOAL! Ross Colton flips shot over Driedger’s glove after getting up from his knees in the right circle with Yanni Gourde providing a screen in front. Blake Coleman won a puck battle to help set up the goal. Lightning 2, Panthers 2.

LIGHTNING GOAL! Steven Stamkos scores on a redirect of a Ryan McDonagh pass after McDonagh cut off a pass in the neutral zone, broke down the left side and centered a pass into the slot. Lightning 3, Panthers 2.

Jan Rutta penalized for interfering with Gustav Forsling

Andrei Vasilevskiy makes a pad save on a Brandon Montour shot, then the Lightning survive a net-front scrum with Vasilevskiy down on the ice. Blake Coleman and Sam Bennett receive roughing penalties.

Alex Killorn makes a great stick play as the Lightning clear the puck out of the zone

PANTHERS GOAL: Alexander Wennberg scores on a screened shot from the short side with Owen Tippett obscuring Vasilevskiy’s vision. Lightning 3, Panthers 3.

Mason Marchment penalized for hooking Steven Stamkos

LIGHTNING GOAL! Brayden Point restores the Lightning lead with a power-play goal similar to the one he scored in Game 1, following a feed into the slot from Nikita Kucherov. Lightning 4, Panthers 3.

Vasilevskiy stops a shot from Owen Tippett

Radko Gudas penalized for hooking Ondrej Palat

Vasilevskiy stops Mackenzie Weegar on a prime scoring opportunity

LIGHTNING GOAL! Alex Killorn bangs home a rebound for a power-play goal. Lightning 5, Panthers 3.

(Lightning lead 5-3 after two periods)

First period

Andrei Vasilevskiy makes an easy save on Gustav Forsling shot

Driedger makes a save on a Brayden Point shot from the high slot after a nice pass from Nikita Kucherov

Driedger stops Tyler Johnson snapshot

Pat Maroon with a big hit on Radko Gudas

Blake Coleman picks up a loose puck at the Florida blue line and fires a shot on net that Driedger handles

Ondrej Palat unable to get a shot off after getting the puck in the slot

PANTHERS GOAL: Sam Bennett gets behind the Lightning defense and scores after a nice saucer pass from Jonathan Huberdeau. Panthers 1, Lightning 0

Lightning avoid a penalty after Mathieu Joseph flips the puck into the stands from inside the Tampa Bay zone

Aleksander Barkov is not on the Panthers bench at the moment

PANTHERS GOAL: Radko Gudas scores his first career playoff goal top shelf on his own rebound. Initial shot was blocked by Ondrej Palat. Panthers 2, Lightning 0.

Andrei Vasilevskiy makes a big save on a tip-in attempt from Carter Verhaeghe

Vasilevskiy stops a wrist shot by Mason Marchment

Brayden Point with a couple of exciting rushes but can’t get the puck to Ondrej Palat on his centering attempts

Long shot from Frank Vatrano swallowed up by Vasilevskiy

Barkov now back on the Panthers bench

Mikhail Sergachev shot from the right point saved by Driedger

Driedger fights off Tyler Johnson backhand attempt after nice rush in which Johnson protects then puck then splits Anton Stralman and Mackenzie Weegar

Big shot from Sergachev but blocked in front

Vasilevskiy makes a kick save on a shot from Verhaeghe

Driedger gloves Victor Hedman’s long shot from the blueline at the buzzer

(Panthers lead 2-0 after one period)

Your pregame scouting report

Two games in, the first-round series between the Lightning and Panthers finally moves to Tampa. Is it just me, or do the games already feel a bit ... anticlimactic?

After the absorbing back-and-forth Game 1 which Tampa Bay won with just over a minute remaining and the more tight-checking Game 2 victory, the Lightning have a two-game lead in the best-of-seven series.

Which seems like a good time to mention that they have never lost a playoff series after taking a 2-0 lead. Not once. In seven tries.

So, while you can bet the Panthers will hit the Stanley Cup champions with everything they’ve got in tonight’s Game 3, it seems like much of the suspense was sucked out of the series before it ever got here.

Still, tonight marks the first time Amalie Arena has hosted playoff hockey in more than two years (last postseason was held in bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton due to the pandemic), so we’re gonna have some fun. And more people will get to take part, with capacity increased to 9,000 for the next two games.

Superstars Nikita Kucherov (two goals, two assists), Brayden Point (two goals, one assist), Steven Stamkos (one goal, two assists) and Victor Hedman (three assists) were the headliners in the first two games, but defenseman Ryan McDonagh has left his mark on the series, too, with two assists and six blocked shots.

After allowing four goals in Game 1, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was outstanding in Game 2, stopping 32 of 33 shots to pick up his 35th career postseason win.

Chris Driedger, who replaced Sergei Bobrovsky after Game 1, will be back in net for the Panthers after stopping 26 of 28 shots on Tuesday.

Can the Lightning keep it going tonight and tighten their grip on the series?

Follow our live updates, starting at 6:30 p.m., as they look to take a commanding three-game lead.

Setting the scene

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