Florida Panthers defeated Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 in preseason game
The Florida Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 at Benchmark International Arena on Thursday, bringing their preseason record to 2-0-1 as the exhibition slate concludes in Sunrise. Cole Reinhardt notched the game-winning goal, while goaltenders Cooper Black and Kirill Gerasimyuk split netminding duties to secure the win.
Exhibition Slate Nears Finish in Sunrise
The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning closed out their exhibition schedules. Thursday night’s matchup saw the Panthers improve to 2-0-1 following a sharp offensive display against their cross-state opponents. Every member of the forward line featuring Kai Schwindt, Cole Reinhardt, and Hunter St. Martin successfully found the back of the net, establishing early momentum for the home side.
Reinhardt not only supplied the decisive game-winning goal but also chipped in with an assist alongside linemate Schwindt. Additional scoring came courtesy of Bokondji Imama and Sandis Vilmanis, highlighting depth production across Florida’s roster. Between the pipes, Cooper Black stopped 14 of 16 shots through the opening frames before Kirill Gerasimyuk took over in the third period, turning aside 11 of 12 shots to earn the victory.
Roster Depth and Opening Night Preparations
With the final cuts and preparations underway, both franchises are shifting focus to the regular season opener. The Panthers utilized a mix of forwards like Nate Bastian, John Beecher, Sam Lafferty, and Garnet Hathaway alongside Jack Devine and Gracyn Sawchyn. The defensive pairings featured Uvis Balinskis, Alexander Petrovic, Marek Alscher, Donovan Sebrango, Matvei Shuravin, and Mikulas Hovorka, with Akira Schmid and Cooper Black anchoring the goaltending depth.
Florida hits the road next to open the regular season against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning travel north for their regular-season debut on Thursday against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Around the League: Preseason Scores
Thursday’s victory stood out amid a heavy slate of games across the National Hockey League as teams finalize their preparations. In other recent action, Washington defeated Boston 3-2 in overtime, the New York Rangers topped the New York Islanders 6-1, Dallas edged Minnesota 2-1, and Colorado defeated Winnipeg 5-2.
