The Florida Panthers overcame the Tampa Bay Lightning with a decisive 6-3 victory, advancing to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Eetu Luostarinen spearheaded the effort with a goal and three assists, while Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, and Sam Reinhart each contributed to the scoring. Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves, showcasing his solid performance as the Panthers eliminated their in-state rivals for the second consecutive season, winning the series in five games.

Despite Tampa Bay's Nick Paul scoring the first goal of the match, Florida quickly equalized with Verhaeghe's power-play goal. The Lightning's inability to capitalize on home ice was evident, as they have now lost nine of their last ten playoff games in front of their fans. The Panthers will now prepare to face the winner of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators series, which currently sees Toronto leading 3-2.