In a heated game Monday night, Tampa Bay dominated Florida 4-0. Things got messy when Nikita Kucherov, just after scoring, was thrown out for kneeing Matthew Tkachuk.
In goal, Jonas Johansson was perfect with 36 saves, getting his fourth NHL shutout. The win ended Florida's four-game hot streak - payback after the Panthers had stopped Tampa's winning streak just a day before.
The Lightning's scoring came from Jake Guentzel and Brandon Hagel. Mitchell Chaffee scored on the power play to make it 3-0, giving Tampa their ninth power play goal this month.
Things got ugly when Kucherov took down Tkachuk. Refs kicked Kucherov out with a five-minute major penalty. Though Tkachuk stumbled off the ice, he came back out for the second period.
The refs were busy all night, calling 18 penalties. Tampa got hit with nine penalties adding up to 37 minutes, while Florida also had nine calls but only 26 minutes.
Even with four power plays, Florida couldn't get anything going. The Panthers, who usually put up around 3.5 goals per game, couldn't crack Johansson.
This game adds another story to a heated rivalry going back to 1993. Since 2021, these teams have met four times in Stanley Cup matchups, each winning twice.
Now both teams get a break over the holidays. Games pick up again Saturday - Florida hosts Montreal while Tampa Bay plays the New York Rangers at home.
