The Lightning are coming into this game down 2-0 in the series but they have played well in the first 2 games of this series. They lost both games in very close games, losing 3-2 in both, and they even forced overtime in the last game before losing 3-2 once again. The Lightning got into the playoffs through the Wild Card and they have not been as strong as they were in previous years when they were winning the cup, but they still have a lot of those core pieces on this team and they have the playoff experience to show up in this spot at home down 2-0 in the series. The Lightning came very close in the last 2 games, especially game 2, and they will get their 1st win of this series in this game as they have been much better at home this season. They are also going to be coming into this game with revenge on their mind, not just from the first 2 games of this series either. They are going to be hungry to get a win here as they lost both of their meetings at home with the Panthers this season, including a 9-2 loss in their last game there against them. The Lightning are not as strong as they were in previous years but this is still not a team that is going to get swept in the 1st round of the playoffs and this is the game they need to win to keep themselves alive in this series. Their playoff experience will show up big in this game as they were very close to stealing a game on the road in this series already. The Lightning will win this game at home.