Lightning's Brandon Hagel: May face supplemental discipline
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Hagel may face supplemental discipline after he left his feet to deliver a high hit to Aleksander Barkov that knocked the Florida star out of the game. Hagel received a five-minute major.
The Bolts lost the tight contest 2-0. Hagel's hit was dirty, which really isn't like him. Victor Hedman played the puck and Barkov was looking at Hedman when Hagel jumped to Barkov's head and neck. The league will undoubtedly look at this hit; there was no report on Barkov's status after the game.
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Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy: Sharp in bounce back game
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Vasilevskiy made 21 saves in a 2-0 loss to the Panthers on Thursday. He allowed one goal.
He and Sergei Bobrovsky exchanged saves most of the night in a tight goalie duel. Nate Schmidt beat him in the first period on a one-timer from above the right circle. Vasilevskiy quite effectively bounced back after playing sieve Tuesday night (six goals on 16 shots) in Game 1.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Set to play in Game 2
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Cirelli (undisclosed) will play against Florida in Game 2 on Thursday, per the NHL media site.
Cirelli was regarded as a game-time decision after exiting Game 1 on Tuesday due to the injury. He had 27 goals and 59 points across 80 appearances during the regular season. Cirelli is projected to skate on the second line alongside Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel versus the Panthers.
Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Game-time call Thursday
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Cirelli (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision ahead of Thursday's Game 2 matchup with the Panthers after head coach Jon Cooper told reporters, "We'll see if he can take warmups and, if he is cleared to play, he'll play," per Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun.
Cirelli had been working with the second line and No. 2 power-play unit prior to getting hurt in Game 1 on Tuesday, so look for him to resume those roles if given the all-clear. If not, Nick Paul is poised to take the top-six spot at even strength, playing alongside Jake Guentzel.
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Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy: Exits ice first Thursday
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Vasilevskiy was the first goalie to leave the ice Thursday, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports, indicating he'll be in goal for Game 2 at home versus the Panthers.
Vasilevskiy was never going to lose the starting gig in Tampa, despite having given up six goals on 16 shots for his worst save percentage of the season (.625) in Game 1. The 30-year-old backstop has led the Bolts to three Stanley Cup Finals, including two wins over his 11-year career, so benching him for Jonas Johansson probably hasn't even crossed head coach Jon Cooper's mind.
Lightning's Gage Goncalves: Earns first playoff point
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Goncalves notched an assist and three hits in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Panthers in Game 1.
Goncalves is set to fill a middle-six role in the postseason, though he had an impressive 20:07 of ice time Tuesday in his playoff debut. He also earned his first postseason point with a helper on a Brayden Point goal. Goncalves established himself with 20 points, 61 shots on net, 71 hits and a plus-7 rating over 60 regular-season appearances. He'll be a depth option in fantasy playoff pools, though the Lightning will need to turn things around after a disappointing Game 1.
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Lightning's Ryan McDonagh: Notches helper in Game 1
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McDonagh provided an assist in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Panthers in Game 1.
McDonagh has nine points over his last 13 outings. The 35-year-old shutdown defenseman is finding ways to make a positive impact on offense as well, but he'll always take care of his own zone first. He had a total of 31 points, 78 shots on net, 152 blocked shots and a plus-43 rating over 82 regular-season contests, playing in every game for the first time since 2018-19. McDonagh is the Lightning's second-most important blueliner behind Victor Hedman.
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Lightning's Victor Hedman: Sends power-play assist
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Hedman supplied a power-play assist in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Panthers in Game 1.
Hedman has earned a goal and six assists over his last seven games, with four of those seven points coming on the power play. The 34-year-old defenseman had another strong campaign, earning 15 goals, 66 points (26 on the power play), 181 shots on net, 133 blocked shots and a plus-18 rating over 79 regular-season contests. He'll be the Lightning's top blueliner throughout the postseason.
Kucherov notched a power-play assist and two shots on goal in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Panthers in Game 1.
Kucherov racked up a stunning 29 points over 17 contests to close out the regular season, securing his second straight Art Ross Trophy with 121 points in 78 outings overall. He was able to get on the scoresheet again in the playoff opener, but the Lightning weren't able to put together much else on offense. Kucherov's one of the most dynamic players in the league, and Tampa Bay will need him at his best to go on a deep run in the postseason.
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Lightning's Brayden Point: Lights lamp Tuesday
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Point scored a goal on two shots in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Panthers in Game 1.
Point got the Lightning back within three goals at 13:04 of the second period, but a comeback never materialized. The center's offense was a bit unsteady late in the season -- he earned four goals and five assists over the last nine regular-season games, but three of those outings were multi-point efforts. The 29-year-old totaled 42 goals, 40 assists, 189 shots on net and a plus-17 rating over 77 regular-season contests, so he should be heavily involved in the scoring for the Lightning in the playoffs.
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Lightning's Jake Guentzel: Tallies on power play in loss
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Guentzel scored a power-play goal on six shots and went minus-2 in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Panthers in Game 1.
Guentzel has scored four times over his last four games, including two power-play goals in that span. His first year with the Lightning saw the winger tally a career-best 41 goals while reaching the 80-point mark for the second time in his career. He's locked into a top-six role and a spot on the first power-play unit, so he should be a significant factor in the Lightning's offense during the playoffs.
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Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy: Lit up in Game 1 loss
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Vasilevskiy stopped 10 of 16 shots in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Panthers in Game 1.
The Lightning's shot suppression game was fine, but the Panthers cashed in on all three of their power-play chances, which ultimately was the difference. This was one of Vasilevskiy's worst outings in quite a while -- he didn't allow more than five goals in any start in 2024-25. The last time he allowed six goals was Feb. 17, 2024, which also came against the Panthers. Vasilevskiy will be the man between the pipes for the Lightning, so expect him to get a chance to redeem himself Thursday in Game 2.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Can't finish contest
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Cirelli (undisclosed) did not finish Tuesday's Game 1 versus the Panthers, Erik Erlendsson of LightningInsider.com reports.
Cirelli left the bench a couple of times in the second period and didn't return after the second departure. There was no information on his status after the contest. His status for Game 2 on Thursday is up in the air -- if Cirelli can't play, Mitchell Chaffee would likely enter the lineup.
Glendening (upper body) is available for Game 1 against the Panthers on Tuesday, Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com reports.
Glendening sat out the last four games of the regular season after getting hurt against Toronto on April 9. The Lightning ruled him out indefinitely as of April 11, so the 35-year-old seemingly made great strides in recovering from his injury. He'll be an option to center the fourth line Tuesday. Glendening has accounted for five goals, eight points and a minus-10 rating over 45 career postseason outings.
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Lightning's Mitchell Chaffee: Available to return
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Chaffee (upper body) will be an option for Game 1 against Florida on Tuesday, per Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com.
After missing Thursday's 4-0 loss to the Rangers, Chaffee has been a regular at Tampa Bay practices leading into the playoffs. He had 12 goals, 18 points, 68 shots on net and 133 hits across 66 regular-season appearances in 2024-25. Chaffee could play in Game 1 versus the Panthers or be a healthy scratch if the Lightning dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
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Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy: First off at morning skate
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Vasilevskiy is set to start at home Tuesday against the Panthers in Game 1, Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun reports.
Vasilevskiy finished the regular season playing at a high level, earning an 8-2-2 record, 1.73 GAA and .929 save percentage over his last 12 appearances. The Panthers are close to being fully healthy, but the status of Matthew Tkachuk (groin) for Game 1 has yet to be determined. Vasilevskiy has been excellent in postseason play throughout his 11-year career, sporting a 66-46-0 record, .920 save percentage and 2.41 GAA over 115 appearances.
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