Vasilevskiy, Kucherov and Lightning put series stranglehold on Panthers

Steven Stamkos scored two goals and Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the visiting Florida Panthers 5-1 to move to the brink of another trip to the NHL Eastern Conference final on Sunday.

Corey Perry and Erik Cernak also scored, and reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy had 34 saves to help the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions take a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Panthers, who had the NHL's best record during the regular season.

Game 4 is Monday night at Amalie Arena, where the Lightning have won three of four games this post-season. One more victory will send them to the Eastern Conference final for the sixth time in eight years.

The Lightning are 9-0 in best-of-seven series in which they've won the first two games, including last year's first-round victory over the Panthers

Vasilevskiy allowed just one goal for the fourth straight game after allowing at least three in each of Tampa Bay's first six games this post-season. He's been helped in that dominating stretch, as his teammates in front of him have helped by playing excellent team defence.

Sam Reinhart scored Florida's lone goal in Game 3, snapping a puzzling 0-for-25 start to the playoffs for the Panthers' power play.

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 31 of 34 shots, with Perry and Cernak both scoring only moments after Florida killed off penalties in the first and second periods. Stamkos' one-timer off a pass from Kucherov made it 3-1 midway through the second.

Kucherov and Stamkos added empty-net goals in the final four minutes after the Panthers removed Bobrovsky in favour of an extra attacker.

Perry, who signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent after being part of teams that lost to the Lightning in