Florida on Thursday held its own during the time it played without Barkov. The Panthers held the Lightning to just three shots on goal in the third period, including just two in that 10-plus minute stretch with Barkov sidelined to keep the game at 1-0 until Sam Bennett sealed the game with an empty-netter with 3.4 seconds left in regulation.

Barkov left after he was hit away from the puck by Tampa Bay forward Brandon Hagel at 9:51 of the third. Hagel was assessed a major penalty for the hit, which caused Barkov to stay down on the ice for a bit before being attended to by Florida's medical staff.

Florida captain Aleksander Barkov missed the final 10:09 of the Panthers’ win in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series at Tampa Bay on Thursday night, after taking a hit from the Lightning’s Brandon Hagel.