Lightning close in on sweep of Panthers with Game 3 victory

Steven Stamkos scored twice as the Tampa Bay Lightning took a 3-0 lead over the Florida Panthers in their second-round playoff series following a 5-1 win Sunday.

The Lightning captain tallied a crucial marker to make it 3-1 midway through the second period, then added an empty-netter for the two-time defending champions late in the third.

Florida, which won the Presidents' Trophy in 2021-22 as the NHL's top regular-season club, has produced only three goals in as many games. The Panthers had gone the entire postseason without scoring on the power play until Sam Reinhart did so in the first period Sunday.

Nikita Kucherov notched four points in the victory, collecting three assists before burying an empty-netter of his own less than two minutes before Stamkos. Corey Perry and Erik Cernak provided the other goals for the Lightning.

Tampa Bay will have home ice for its first chance to eliminate its intrastate rival in Game 4 on Monday night.

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