Panthers defeat Lightning 6-1, take playoff series from state rival for first time.

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third year in a row with a 6-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night.

Florida got its first playoff series win against its cross-state rival after dropping its first two playoff meetings in 2021 and 2022.

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov helped seal the deal, scoring two goals, including the eventual game-winner 12:38 into the second period and the insurance marker 11:06 into the third period.

“It was great to get over the hump and we all remember what happened [in 2021 and 2022],” Barkov said. “At some point, we were going to have to see them again and you got to get over the hump. And we did it this year and it obviously feels great right now.”

Here is everything you need to know as the Panthers head into Round 2:

What went right for the Panthers

The Panthers ousted the Lightning in five games with a mix of clutch scoring from their stars and a stellar series from their penalty killing unit.

Carter Verhaeghe led the way, scoring five goals in the series, including the go-ahead goal in Game 1 and the overtime winner in Game 2. He also scored the opening goal in Florida’s series-clinching Game 5 victory.

Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart each scored three goals, with Tkachuk adding six assists to lead the series with nine points. Anton Lundell (three assists) also stepped up in the absence of Sam Bennett, who left Game 2 with an upper-body injury and has yet to return.

Florida’s penalty kill was also near spotless against the top power play unit of the 2023-24 regular season, snuffing out 16 of 18 Tampa Bay power plays at 5-on-4. Barkov added a shorthanded goal in Game 5 to help secure the series.

The Panthers excelled at keeping the Lightning out of the offensive zone and breaking up entry passes early, which helped swing the momentum in their favor after each kill. It proved to be the death blow in the series-clincher, where they went 3-for-3.

“When the pressure was the most extreme, guys made plays,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “That takes some courage.”

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay fans were criticizing two goalie interference calls that went against their team Monday night. The first call was a coach's challenge initiated by Florida in the first period and the second came in the second period when the officials waved off a goal by Anthony Cirelli for incidental contact with goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

Panthers will face Maple Leafs or Bruins in next round

The Panthers will face one of two teams that they took down in the playoffs last year in Round 2: the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Boston Bruins.

Boston currently owns a 3-1 series lead over Toronto and could close things out as soon as Tuesday night with a win in Game 5.

The Bruins swept the regular-season series with the Panthers after they blew a 3-1 series lead to lose to them in the first round of last season's playoffs in seven games. Toronto and Florida split their season series 2-2 after the Panthers defeated the Maple Leafs in five games in the second round of last year’s playoffs.

More: Five Reasons why Florida Panthers can win the Stanley Cup championship as playoffs near

With the Panthers owning the Atlantic Division title, the series would start in Sunrise after the conclusion of the Maple Leafs-Bruins series. And with Toronto star Auston Matthews’ status for Tuesday’s Game 5 in doubt due to an illness, it could be coming to an end sooner rather than later.

“We’re probably going to be playing our next biggest rival, so there will be no emotional letdown,” Tkachuk said. “I mean, who knows who we are going to end up playing, but whoever we play, it’s going to be another intense and very fun series to be a part of.”

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Panthers oust Tampa Bay Lightning to advance in Stanley Cup Playoffs