Panthers erase deficit with 2 goals in 11 seconds, beat Lightning to take 3-1 series lead

By Canadian Press on April 28, 2025.

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones scored third-period goals 11 seconds apart and the Florida Panthers stormed from behind to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Monday night to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round series.

Anton Lundell also scored. Carter Verhaeghe added an empty netter. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 18 shots.

The Panthers had managed just three shots on goal in the third before Ekblad tied it on a putback with 3:47 remaining. Jones found the back of the net shortly after as the Panthers erased a two-goal deficit in seconds.

Florida will now have a a chance to clinch the series Wednesday night in Tampa.

Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel left in the second period after taking a high hit from Ekblad, who made contact with the left wing’s chin area and sent him onto his back. Hagel went straight to the locker room and no penalty was called.

Mitchell Chaffee and Erik Cernak scored 11 seconds apart in the second period to put the Lightning up 2-1. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves.

STARS 6, AVALANCHE 2

DALLAS (AP) — Wyatt Johnston scored 9 seconds in for the quickest goal ever to start a playoff game for Dallas, then added another goal and an assist as they beat Colorado in Game 5 of their first-round series.

Mikko Rantanen, who was with the Avalanche in the playoffs the past seven seasons, scored his first postseason goal and had two assists for the Stars as they took a 3-2 series lead.

Game 6 is Thursday night in Colorado.

After Artturi Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon scored 2 1/2 minutes apart for the Avs in the second period to get them to 3-2, Johnston scored on a power play that included a secondary assist from Rantanen.

Mason Marchment restored Dallas’ three-goal lead before the end of the second period when he deflected Alexander Petrovic’s long slap shot past goalie Mackenzie Blackwood.

Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 27 shots.

The Associated Press