Aaron Ekblad's Overtime Goal Lifts Panthers to 3-2 Win Over Lightning, Ties Series 2-2

Aaron Ekblad scored in overtime to give the Florida Panthers a critical 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on April 24, 2024. The win tied the series at 2-2, with the Panthers defending their home ice in a thrilling overtime battle.

The Panthers opened the scoring in the first period, taking a 2-0 lead with goals from Sam Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko. However, the Lightning fought back in the second period, with Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos scoring to tie the game at 2-2.

The game turned into a goaltending duel between the Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky and the Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy, with both netminders making several highlight-reel saves. Late in the second period, Bobrovsky made an extraordinary save to preserve the 2-2 tie, diving across the goal mouth with his back turned to the play to stop a one-timer from Tampa Bay's Matt Dumba with his glove hand.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice and defenseman Ekblad praised Bobrovsky's desperation and athleticism on the save, which was described as potentially the "save of the year." "That's one of the top 10 saves I've seen in the playoffs," Maurice said. "He's just so athletic and his desperation is incredible."

The game remained tied through the third period, with the Panthers killing off a critical four-minute Lightning power play. In overtime, Carter Verhaeghe set up the game-winning play, taking a pass from Anton Lundell and finding Ekblad, who scored on a backhand shot 2:59 into the extra frame. The goal was Ekblad's first of the playoffs and Verhaeghe's fifth career playoff overtime game-winner, tying him for third on the NHL's all-time list.

Why this matters: The Panthers' victory evens the series at 2-2 and sets up a pivotal Game 5 between the two Florida rivals. The win also continues the Panthers' remarkable playoff overtime success, with 11 consecutive victories dating back to the 2021 postseason.

The series will now shift back to Tampa for Game 5, where the Lightning will look to rebound on home ice. "It's a best-of-three now," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "We knew this wasn't going to be easy. The Panthers are a heck of a team, and we'll have to bring our best in Game 5."

Key Takeaways

• Aaron Ekblad scored OT winner to tie Panthers-Lightning series 2-2.
• Panthers led 2-0 but Lightning rallied to tie game 2-2 in 2nd period.
• Bobrovsky made a spectacular save to preserve 2-2 tie in 2nd period.
• Panthers have won 11 consecutive playoff OT games dating back to 2021.
• Series shifts to Tampa for pivotal Game 5, with Lightning looking to rebound.