The Tampa Bay Lightning knew Game 3 was a must-win contest for them, and they delivered big time. The Lightning defeated the Florida Panthers by a 5-1 final score and avoided going down 3-0 in the series because of it. They now have the chance to even things back up in Game 4 with another win.
The Lightning's top stars helped play a role in this win, as Jake Guentzel, Nikita Kucherov, Ryan McDonagh, Brayden Point, and Anthony Cirelli all contributed offensively. However, they also got some help from one of their promising rookies, as Gage Goncalves ended the contest with two assists.
Goncalves' first helper was a clutch one, as he recorded the primary assist on Nick Paul's game-winning goal that gave the Bolts a 2-1 lead. It was a nice assist from Goncalves, too, as he made a great backhand feed before Paul fired it home.
For his second assist, Goncalves deflected the puck out of the air. From there, he made a quick pass to Yanni Gourde, which created a two-on-one for the Lightning. Gourde then set up Luke Glendening for the goal.
Overall, Goncalves stepped up for the Lightning in a game that they certainly needed to win. With this strong performance, he now has three goals in three post-season games for the Bolts this year. It will be intriguing to see how he builds on his hot stretch of play from here.
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