Panthers End Regular Season with 5-1 Loss to Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Florida Panthers 5-1 in their regular-season finale, with Brayden Point leading the way with a goal and two assists. Nikita Kucherov also reached a significant milestone, surpassing 120 points for the season, while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 23 saves. Florida, already locked into third place in the Atlantic Division, rested several key players in preparation for the playoffs. The Panthers managed just one goal from Brad Marchand, who played his 1,100th NHL game. This result sets up a first-round Stanley Cup Playoff matchup between the two in-state rivals, marking their fourth postseason meeting in five years. Tampa Bay will enjoy home-ice advantage in the upcoming series.