Tampa Bay Lightning entered the playoffs with high hopes, only to suffer a crushing 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers, leading to their elimination. This defeat marks the Lightning’s second consecutive first-round exit, a stark contrast to their three consecutive appearances in the Final.
We love you, Bolts Nation 💙 pic.twitter.com/LOvcMg9U6l
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 30, 2024
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Sergei Bobrovsky’s exceptional goaltending, coupled with stellar performances from Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaege, propelled the Panthers to victory.
Despite a valiant effort from Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevsky’s goaltending heroics, the Lightning couldn’t overcome the Panthers’ dominance.
“Opinions seem to be split about whether the correct calls were made. But there’s no debate about the fact that one or both could have gone the other way. They were 50-50 calls that landed on the Florida side of the ledger.” @TBLightning https://t.co/h9khf1hjC5
— Dave Mishkin (@DaveMishkin) April 30, 2024
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Barkov’s short-handed goal in the second period set the tone for the Panthers’ offensive onslaught, leading them to clinch their first-round series and advance in the NHL playoffs.
Although Tampa Bay showed resilience, the Panthers’ formidable performance and strategic approach ultimately overwhelmed them.
Final. pic.twitter.com/Q0p1sJw0NC
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 30, 2024
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