Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) and Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Mitchell Chaffee (41) go after the puck during the third period in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) AP

The Florida Panthers seek to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a win against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNSUN, SCRIPPS, ESPN2, TVAS2,

The Tampa Bay Lightning were temporarily inspired by a nasty Aaron Ekblad hit to Brandon Hagel that wasn’t penalized, but two dramatic late goals from Ekblad and Seth Jones aided the Panthers to a 4-2 win and a 3-1 series advantage.

The Lightning will be in a fight for their playoff lives as they take on the Florida Panthers tonight at Amalie. Why it matters: Tampa Bay is down 3-1 in the first-to-four series. A loss would end their season — and cement the Lightning's defending-champion in-state rivals as Florida's hockey powerhouse.