The intense rivalry known as the `Battle of Florida` is certainly living up to expectations, despite the Florida Panthers establishing a significant 2-0 advantage in the series as they head back to their home arena.
In the second game on Thursday, defenseman Nate Schmidt delivered the decisive goal once again, scoring early in the first period. Florida successfully defended their lead throughout the game until Sam Bennett secured the 2-0 victory with an empty-net goal, resulting in a notably quiet crowd at Amalie Arena.
While the Tampa Bay Lightning are now facing a two-game deficit before moving to Sunrise, the Panthers might have concerns regarding their captain, Aleksander Barkov. He was forced to leave the game in the third period after receiving a heavy hit from Brandon Hagel and did not return to the ice.