Panthers 5, Lightning 3: Harkins Scores Twice, but Tampa Bay Lets the Third Get Away

_coverage presented by Bud Light_

A rivalry night with the wrong finish

The Lightning had a tie game heading into the third period against Florida. They had Jansen Harkins supplying two goals. They finished with more shots and more faceoff wins. What they did not have was the finish this matchup demanded.

Florida beat Tampa Bay 5-3 at Benchmark International Arena on September 24, taking a game that was level through two periods and making the final frame its own. The Panthers scored three times in the third; the Lightning answered with one.

That is a lousy closing argument against anybody. Against the Panthers? A little extra salt in the wound. Tampa Bay had enough going right to make this competitive, but competitive and complete are different things. This one landed firmly in the first category.

How it happened: level, then lost

Florida took the opening period 1-0, leaving the Lightning chasing on the scoreboard. Tampa Bay’s strongest response came in the second: two goals against Florida’s one, bringing the game to 2-2 entering the third.

That middle period matters. The Lightning did not simply fall behind and stay there. They erased the opening-period deficit and gave themselves an even scoreboard for the deciding stretch. Whatever frustrations came later, the opportunity was real.

Then Florida won the third-period scoring battle 3-1. No overtime, no extra runway, no salvaging the night after regulation. The Panthers did their most damaging work in the period that settled it.

The period-by-period picture in ESPN’s game coverage is blunt: Florida ahead early, Tampa Bay drawing level, Florida separating late. This was not a game the Lightning never entered. It was a game they could not close.

Stat of the game: four chances, no payoff

The number that deserves a long stare is Tampa Bay’s 0-for-4 power play. Florida also failed to score with the advantage, but the Panthers had only one opportunity. The Lightning had four and got no goals out of them.

That does not tell us how each advantage looked. It does tell us the result: a potentially valuable part of Tampa Bay’s offense produced nothing on a night that ended 5-3.

The broader stat sheet offers both encouragement and reasons to grumble:

• Shots: Tampa Bay 28, Florida 25.
• Power play: Tampa Bay 0-for-4; Florida 0-for-1.
• Faceoffs won: Tampa Bay 35, Florida 25.
• Blocked shots: Florida 18, Tampa Bay 6.
• Hits: Florida 41, Tampa Bay 26.

Winning faceoffs and finishing ahead in shots are useful ingredients. They are not a receipt for a victory. Florida’s 18 blocks and 41 hits also belong in the conversation, without pretending those totals explain every shift. The Panthers brought the bigger totals in those categories and, more importantly, the bigger total on the scoreboard.

Player of the night: Harkins brought the goals

For Tampa Bay, the individual headline belongs to Jansen Harkins: two goals, two points. In a three-goal team effort, that is substantial offensive weight. His production is the clearest positive to pull from a result nobody around here needs to dress up.

Jakob Pelletier added one assist. Across the rivalry line, Kai Schwindt recorded one goal and one assist, while Cole Reinhardt finished with two points.

Give Florida’s contributors their due. Hometown pride does not require selective eyesight. Harkins delivered for Tampa Bay, but the Panthers had their own productive nights and the stronger final period.

What it means: keep the good, own the finish

The honest takeaway is not that everything was broken. Tampa Bay generated 28 shots, won 35 faceoffs and recovered from a 1-0 opening period. Those facts belong alongside the problems, not underneath them.

But an empty four-opportunity power play and a 3-1 third-period deficit are hard to talk around. For more Lightning coverage from Pinellas Podcast, that is the balance worth keeping: appreciate Harkins’ two-goal night without softening a 5-3 rivalry loss. Bring that same honest take to our community.

What's next: Check the Lightning’s upcoming schedule for their next matchup.

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