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Lightning Face Crucial Game 5 Against Panthers

In a pivotal moment for the Tampa Bay Lightning, forward Nick Paul emphasized the necessity of focusing on the immediate challenge rather than the broader implications of the series. “We can’t think about the long picture here,” he stated. “We have to go out and play a full 60 minutes.”

As Tampa Bay gears up for Game 5 against the Florida Panthers, they face the harsh reality that they won’t be able to force a Game 7 until after this crucial matchup on Wednesday evening. The Lightning’s recent performance, particularly in Game 4, illustrated their struggles, as they squandered a promising 2-1 lead in the final moments, ultimately succumbing to a 4-2 defeat. This loss left the team teetering on the brink of elimination.

A critical five-minute segment early in the third period of Game 4 could haunt the Lightning should their season come to an abrupt end. After Florida defenseman Niko Mikkola received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for a hit on Zemgus Girgensons, Tampa Bay found itself in a prime position to increase their lead. Regrettably, they could not capitalize on this opportunity. Despite having the fifth-best power play during the regular season, the Lightning managed only one shot on goal during this key moment, mirroring their overall struggles in man-advantage situations throughout the series.

Remarkably, Tampa Bay has yet to convert on any of their power play opportunities since Brayden Point scored during their first chance in Game 1, going 0-for-14. This drought has been exacerbated by the team’s inability to challenge Florida’s goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky. Including Point’s initial goal, the Lightning have recorded only 13 shots during power play situations across four games.

Forward Mitchell Chaffee, who netted his first career playoff goal in Game 4, remarked, “Good teams are going to score on the power play. Unfortunately, it does not always happen that way, so we need to be better five-on-five.”

Looking ahead to Game 5, Tampa Bay will face a more daunting challenge as they will be without Brandon Hagel, who sustained an injury due to a hit by Aaron Ekblad in Game 4. This absence underscores the need for the Lightning to create more offensive opportunities. During Mikkola’s major penalty, Tampa Bay recorded only five shot attempts, managing just one shot that reached Bobrovsky, a strike from Victor Hedman. Star player Nikita Kucherov has remarkably tallied only two shots on goal during power plays throughout the series, highlighting a concerning trend for the team.

In contrast, Panthers defenseman Seth Jones, who played a vital role with the game-winning goal in Game 4, noted, “Our penalty kill has been pretty solid this whole series. We want to force them to make plays under pressure.”

While the Panthers have not been extraordinary on the power play either, converting only 3-for-13, the Lightning’s struggles stand out starkly following their inability to capitalize on Mikkola’s penalty. Nevertheless, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper remains optimistic despite the challenges. “We played well enough to win both games in Sunrise and we came up a little short,” he acknowledged. “It’s really close, and that’s what makes this Battle of Florida so much fun because it’s two extremely competitive teams that play a great brand of hockey. That’s why you get these tight, exciting games.”

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