"RIP dynasty" "It's over, time to rebuild" - NHL fans react to Tampa Bay Lightning's Game 3 5-3 loss to Florida Panthers

Fans reacted as the Tampa Bay Lightning suffered a shock 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series on Thursday night.

The Lightning now trail the best-of-seven series 3-0, putting them on the brink of an early playoff exit.

Fans have reacted strongly on social media, declaring the end of the Lightning's dominance. One fan tweeted:

"RIP dynasty. Back to misery with the rest of us." about Tampa's recent run of success that saw them win back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021.

Another fan suggests rebuilding the Lightning lineup for the next season:

"Series over. This team is done. It’s time to rebuild."

Here are some fan reactions to the Lightning's loss:

"Gotta give it to the Panthers. Better game plan, better goal tending, and much better defense. Florida is executing when they’re given the opportunity, taking advantage of mistakes, and the Lightning aren’t," one fan wrote on X.

"Terrible management of the line changes. Victor Hedman 26mins. Darren Raddysh 13mins. Top lines were worn out by the 3rd. Jon Cooper is better than that." another fan wrote on X.

"Not even gonna watch game 4". a user wrote.

"Time to press the reset button its over." another user wrote.

"I’m sorry but you are literally playing like a team that didn’t even deserve to be in the play-offs. Such a poor display might end up with 0 wins in that series." one fan wrote.

"Embarassing effort for the third night in a row. Vasy Lilberg and Duclair are the only ones who want to win." another fan wrote.

Steven Stamkos, Tyler Motte and Nicholas Paul scored for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevkiy was pierced for five goals on just 31 shots.

Matthew Tkachuk scored twice. Brandon Montour, Sam Reinhart and Steven Lorentz added goals for the Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves against the Lightning attack.

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How Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Florida Panthers

The Panthers struck first when Matthew Tkachuk opened the scoring late in the first period. But the Tampa Bay Lightning responded early in the second with goals from Steven Stamkos and Tyler Motte to take a 2-1 lead.

Sam Reinhart evened the scores midway through the second period before Brandon Montour gave Florida a 3-2 lead with a slap shot from the point late in the frame. Steven Lorentz extended the Panthers' lead early in the third, putting the Lightning in a two-goal hole.

Nicholas Paul brought Tampa Bay within one with over five minutes remaining, but Tkachuk sealed the victory with an empty-net goal in the final minute.

The loss puts the Lightning on the brink of elimination. They need to win four straight games to advance to the next round. Game 4 is set for Saturday, and the Tampa Bay Lightning will need to find answers quickly to avoid an early playoff exit.