Panthers advance to the second round after defeating Tampa Bay in 5 games

By Canadian Press on April 30, 2025.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Panthers advanced to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs after a 6-3 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.

Eetu Luostarinen had a goal and three assists. Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett all scored for the Panthers as Florida defeated their in-state rival in five games for the second consecutive season. Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 26 saves to help the Panthers reach the second round for the fourth consecutive season.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers will next play the winner of the series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, which Toronto currently leads 3-2.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Erik Erlendsson, The Associated Press