Aleksander Barkov scored twice in the second period, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots, and the Florida Panthers beat their in-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Monday night.

The defending champion Panthers lead the regular-season series 2-1 before Tampa Bay — which hadn’t lost since Feb. 1 — hosts the final meeting on April 15.

The Panthers captain has become part of the South Florida landscape over his 12 seasons. He’s also helped turn a floundering franchise into a champion.

Aleksander Barkov scored two goals and Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves as the Florida Panthers snapped the Tampa Bay Lightning's eight-game winning streak with a 2-1 decision on Monday night in Sunrise,

Barkov scored both of Florida's goals and took four shots on net in Monday's 2-1 win over Tampa Bay. Barkov cashed in both his goals in the second period. The first of his two tallies was unassisted before he scored the latter on a power play.

Sam Bennett had a goal and an assist for the Florida Panthers in a 4-1 win against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday. Aleksander Barkov had two assists for the Panthers (35-21-3),

Every point counts. Battling for playoff position in the Eastern Conference, the Florida Panthers (38-21-3) will host the Columbus Blue Jackets (30-23-8) at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) blocks a shot on goal during the second period of a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, March 3, 2025, at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. Alie Skowronski [email protected]

There are times when Mackie Samoskevich still has to pinch himself when he thinks about where he is right now. At this time a year ago, he was on the tail end of his first full season of professional hockey with the Charlotte Checkers,