Lightning’s Top 5 Performers in Round 2 vs the Panthers

In the shortest series since 2019 where the Tampa Bay Lightning were famously swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Lightning had a lot of great looks from nearly every player in the lineup. Not only is it impressive that the Lightning swept the Presidents Trophy winner Florida Panthers, but it’s also even more impressive that they did it without Brayden Point, who is out of the lineup with a lower-body injury.

The Lightning outscored the Panthers 11-3 in the second round, an impressive number for the Lightning but a disappointing one for the Panthers as they were known to have one of the best forward cores in the league.

With the second round ending for the Lightning and fans eagerly waiting to see who they play in the conference finals, here are the top five players from round two, with no specific order.

5. Steven Stamkos
Steven Stamkos is the best player in Lightning history.  That’s a well-known fact, but his playoff performance is underrated every season. Stamkos had two goals, two assists, and four points to finish off the series, a much better performance than the first round where he had the same stats in three more games. He was not only great on offense, but he was great on defense, blocking shots left and right and helping out both the defense and Vasilevskiy in a big way. If Stamkos plays this way next round, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

3. Victor Hedman
Victor Hedman had an amazing defensive series, even if his offense wasn’t what fans would expect from him. With zero goals, three assists, and three points, Hedman helped the Lightning get up on the board. However, with a +/- of +2, it shows that Hedman was only on the ice once when the Lightning was scored on. Amazing defensive series by one of the best Swedish defensemen of all time, and fans are looking forward to seeing how well he plays in the conference finals.

2. Nikita Kucherov
Nikita Kucherov had a fantastic round two, finishing it off with two goals, five assists, and seven points. Not only did Kucherov play the way everyone expects from him nowadays, but he also helped make up for the loss of Brayden Point. If it hadn’t been for Kucherov’s superstar playmaking ability, along with his ability to make every single teammate five times better, the Lightning wouldn’t have been able to sweep the Panthers.

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1. Andrei Vasilevskiy

It’s safe to say that without Andrei Vasilevskiy, this series wouldn’t have ended in just four games. The way Vasilevskiy played throughout the entire second round was nothing short of stunning. With Vasilevskiy already being seen as a top goaltender of all time, and the best in Lightning history at just 27 years old, it’s still surprising just how good he’s been since game six of the first round.

The stats from round two are just phenomenal. In four games against the Panthers, Vasilevskiy had a .981% save with a 0.75 GAA. In four games, Vasilevskiy was only scored on three times against the best team in the regular season. Another stat that’s been all over Twitter is that in the last seven series-clinching games, Vasilevskiy has been scored on only once. Amazing play by Vasilevskiy in the second round, and here’s to hoping he brings it to round three.