The Florida Panthers thrashed the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 and the Dallas Stars won back-to-back road games to even the series up at 2-2.
The Florida Panthers thrashed the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 and the Dallas Stars won back-to-back road games to even the series up at 2-2.
The Panthers are the second team in the 2023-24 NHL Playoffs to advance to the second round. They'll play the winner of the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs series. The Bruins are currently leading that series 3-1.
The Florida Panthers scored four in the third period and beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-1
The Panthers left the first period up 2-1 after goals from Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov. In the second period, they fired 23 shots at Andrei Vasilevskiy but couldn't extend their lead. In the third, they scored twice at 5v5 before potting two empty net goals to seal the game and the series. Matthew Tkachuk and Verhaeghe were the stars of the series each scoring nine points. Barkov had a quiet series until he took over in Game 5 with two goals and an assist. The Panthers were able to hold this year's Art Ross winner to just seven points and no goals.
The Dallas Stars tied the series with two road wins in Vegas after beating the Golden Knights 4-2
After a shaky performance in Game 1, Jake Oettinger has been as solid as ever for the Stars. He allowed four goals on 15 shots in Game 1 but hasn't allowed more than two since then. On the road in Vegas, he made 32 saves in each game and brought his game to a higher level in the third period. Wyatt Johnston picked up where he left off in Game 3 with a power play goal in the second period to tie the game. Late in the middle frame, Craig Smith threw a puck at the net that hit Ty Dellandrea up high but found its way into the back of the net. With the goalie pulled, Roope Hintz put his body on the line to block a shot and then iced the game with an empty net goal.
The Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche and the Vancouver Canucks will all have the opportunity to clinch their series tonight with wins in Game 5.
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