SUNRISE — Game 1 was an epic back-and-forth battle that reminded South Florida fans of the beauty of playoff hockey, even in defeat for the Florida Panthers. In Game 2, there were no such fireworks for the Panthers.
After the four lead changes on Sunday night, Florida never led in the second game of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Early goals from Steven Stamkos and Ondrej Palat — plus a late empty-netter from Yanni Gourde — dumped the Panthers, 3-1, on Tuesday night at the BB&T Center.
“They had the lead they were looking for,” said Panthers coach Joel Quenneville, “so it was a lot more patient of a game, a lot more structured of a game.