TAMPA, Fla. _ Ryan McDonagh was frank as he sat in his stall after Monday's morning skate.
"I think we need to play desperate," the Lightning defenseman said, "and that's on a lot of levels as far as coming up with a big shot block if needed or bearing down on our chances when we have one, and just playing desperate all over the ice."
Needless to say, McDonagh seemed to have his message translated as Tampa Bay's power play came up in a big way Monday night against the Florida Panthers, paving the way to a 6-1 win.
It was only 41 seconds into the opening frame when Nikita Kucherov shuffled out a pass to his right to Erik Cernak. The defenseman skated his way inside the right faceoff circle and took a shot at a crowded net.
The puck redirected off of the tape on Brayden Point's stick and past Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky to get Tampa Bay on the board early.
The goal was special in that it marked Kucherov's 500th career point _ he is the fourth Lightning player all time to reach the milestone _ and his 300th career assist.
With about five minutes remaining in the first period, Point dished out a pass to Victor Hedman, who stood near the center of the blueline. The defenseman maneuvered to the top of the faceoff circle before ripping a shot past Bobrovsky to put Tampa Bay up 2-0. The goal was made all the more special with his family in the building.
And if Hedman's goal wasn't enough to pile into Florida's cup before the first period came to a close, then Mikhail Sergachev's goal was marshmallows on top of the hot cocoa.
Tampa Bay's Ondrej Palat came around the right side and shuffled out a pass toward Sergachev from the faceoff circle on one leg.
Sergachev brought back his stick to absorb the pass and immediately sent it flying toward Bobrovsky with the puck rebounding off the left goal post before making its way to the back of the net. The power play goal gave Tampa Bay a three-goal cushion by the end of the first.
A Florida goal early in the second wasn't what the Lightning wanted to see, but the pain didn't last long as Alex Killorn netted his 11th goal of the season off a shot from Steven Stamkos just eight seconds into a Tampa Bay power play.
A three-goal cushion turned into four as Kucherov netted his 13th of the season from the right faceoff circle on another Tampa Bay power play.
Another goal from Hedman _ his ninth of the season _ late in the third period capped off the Lightning's 3-1 series against the Panthers.
