TAMPA — The Florida Panthers rolled into Amalie Arena on April 24, 2025, and left with a 2-0 shutout over the Tampa Bay Lightning, grabbing a commanding 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff clash. It was a gritty, no-frills performance, the kind that makes coaches nod quietly and fans spill their beers in excitement.
Nate Schmidt, a defenseman not exactly known for lighting up scoreboards, kept his hot streak alive. Just 4:15 into the first period, after Tampa iced the puck, he fired a shot that beat Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who could only watch as the puck sailed past his glove. Schmidt, who’d already notched two goals in Game 1, now has three in two games—a stat line that’s got his teammates buzzing. Florida’s second goal came later, when Carter Verhaeghe slipped one past Vasilevskiy in the third, sealing the deal.
Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida’s netminder, was a brick wall. He stopped all 19 shots Tampa threw his way, earning his second shutout of the postseason. The guy was dialed in, snagging pucks like they owed him money. Tampa’s offense, usually a high-octane machine, looked flat. Jake Guentzel whiffed on an open look just 53 seconds in, and Brayden Point sent a backhand wide a minute later. The Lightning’s power play, which ranked fifth in the league during the regular season, went 0-for-5, managing a measly two shots on goal.
Vasilevskiy, for his part, held Tampa in it as long as he could, stopping 21 of 23 shots. But Florida’s defense, led by a stifling forecheck and smart positioning, kept the Lightning’s stars quiet. The Panthers clogged passing lanes and forced Tampa into rushed, sloppy plays—exactly the kind of game plan that wins in April.
One sour note for Florida: captain Aleksander Barkov took a high hit from Tampa’s Brandon Hagel in the second period and didn’t return. No word yet on his status, but the Panthers stayed focused, grinding out the win. Game 3 shifts to Sunrise on April 26, where Florida’s home crowd will be itching to push their team closer to the second round. Tampa, meanwhile, faces a steep climb, down 2-0 and searching for answers against a Panthers squad that’s playing like it smells blood.
The series is best-of-seven. Aaron Ekblad, Florida’s defenseman, is eligible to return for Game 3 after sitting out the first two games.