TAMPA, Fla. — In a spirited clash on Sunday, A.J. Greer and Eetu Luostarinen each netted short-handed goals in rapid succession—just 42 seconds apart—in the second period, propelling the Florida Panthers to a 4-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning as the two teams began their home-and-home series.

The matchup will resume on Monday evening in Florida.

Florida’s Sam Reinhart was pivotal, scoring two goals, with his second coming on an empty net. Additionally, goaltender Spencer Knight was solid between the pipes, turning away 19 shots for the reigning Stanley Cup champions. With this win, the Panthers extended their current winning streak to four games.

For the Lightning, Nick Paul and Brayden Point found the back of the net, while goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded 21 saves. Tampa Bay was coming off a four-game winning streak prior to this loss.

The game’s pivotal moment came midway through the second period when the Lightning were on a power play. Nikita Kucherov mishandled the puck during an entry attempt, allowing Greer to seize the opportunity and score, making it 2-1 in favor of Florida. Following that goal, Luostarinen capitalized on a breakaway shortly afterward to extend the Panthers’ lead.

Takeaways from the match highlight the Panthers’ dominance in short-handed scenarios, as they now lead the league with 10 short-handed goals—six more than the next closest team. This marks the eighth occasion in franchise history that Florida has scored two short-handed goals in a single game.

On Tampa’s side, Brayden Point continued to shine, extending his scoring streak to eight consecutive games and accumulating an impressive 18 goals over his last 20 outings.

A key statistic reflecting Florida’s recent success is their record at Amalie Arena; they have now secured victories in their last four visits to Tampa and improved to 7-2-2 in their last nine regular-season games against the Lightning.