SUNRISE, Fla. — Coming off a disappointing Game 3 performance on Saturday, the Florida Panthers will look to rebound Monday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
One change that fans will see is right winger A.J. Greer, who will make his debut.
The Panthers were on the ice for a morning skate ahead of the 7 p.m. faceoff.
In game three on Saturday, the Panthers struck first when Matthew Tkachuk scored the Panthers' lone goal just under three minutes into the game.
After that, the Lightning went on to score five unanswered goals, defeating the Cats 5-1. Now, the Panthers say they have to be tougher if they want to win the series.
"They're great players, and we know how effective they can be," Panthers center Anton Lundell said. "We just have to take the timing and space away from them and play hard against them."
One key development for the Panthers ahead of Monday's matchup was Coach Paul Maurice's announcement that winger Mackie Samoskevich will not play and will be replaced by Greer, who's not shying away from the moment.
"I'm happy to join the group and be a part of it. I can't wait to join our fans," Greer said.
Maurice said the move will help Samoskevich in his long-term development and expects him to be a much better player when he returns.
The Panthers' head coach also added that he does not expect Samoskevich to be out of the lineup for the rest of the playoffs, but expects Greer's addition to be a game-changer.
If Florida can snag a win Monday night, they will take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series against their cross-state rivals.
