Kucherov, Lightning pacified in Game 2 shutout loss, Panthers take commanding 2-0 lead in Battle of Florida

The Florida Panthers shut down NHL leading scorer Nikita Kucherov and the Tampa Bay Lightning, winning 2-0 on Thursday night at Amelie Arena. The Panthers now lead their best-of-seven series 2-0 in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Cats got goals from Nate Schmidt, his third of the series, and Sam Bennett (EN) to ice Nikita Kucherov and the Lightning. Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves to earn the shutout win.

As for the Lightning, their Art Ross Trophy winner forward fell silent. Kucherov failed to register on the scoresheet, as the entire Lightning team could not find the back of the net. The shutout loss comes on the heels of a 6-2 shellacking in Game 1 in which Kucherov managed a single assist.

For the Lightning, they are now in dire straits down 2-0 in the series and only managing two goals over two games.

Nikita Kucherov, in particular, has just one assist in both playoff games after registering 121 points in the regular season. Unfortunately for the Lightning, regular-season points are meaningless in the postseason.

The Panthers-Lightning series will now shift to the Amerant Bank Arena for Game 3 on Saturday afternoon. The Lightning will need to figure out how to get past the Panthers' impenetrable defense as they look to get back into the series.

A loss on Saturday would mean the Panthers get a stranglehold on the series, going up 3-0.

Offense drying up for Nikita Kucherov and Tampa Bay Lightning in 2025 playoffs

The Florida Panthers have dominanted the Tampa Bay Lightning in their first two games in the 2025 Stanely Cup playoffs - Source: Imagn

While it’s only been two games so far, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s offense has all but dried up. In Game 1, the Bolts got goals from Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point. But other leading scorers like Brandon Hagel, Victor Hedman, and Anthony Cirelli did not have strong games.

But in Game 2, none of the usual suspects stepped up. Everyone went silent as the Panthers put the clamps on the game. The Lightning mustered just 19 shots in the game, with Nikita Kucherov getting only one.

Interestingly enough, defenseman Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak got four shots apiece. But they couldn’t find the back of the net.

As for Victor Hedman, he did not manage to get a shot on goal, registering just a single blocked shot in over 27 minutes of ice time.

This downward trend for the Lightning’s offense must turn around quickly if they are to have a chance to get back into the series. While the Bolts managed to contain the Panthers’ offense, it wasn’t enough to earn a split in at home.

The Bolts will now have to get back their offense back on track, specifically their power play, as going 0-for-5 on the night isn't going to cut against a top team like the Panthers.