Goaltender Chris Driedger’s third shutout plus goals from MacKenzie Weegar, Juho Lammikko, Carter Verhaeghe and Alex Wennberg earned the Panthers a 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in their regular-season finale on Monday night at BB&T Center.
The victory in front of the limited-capacity sellout crowd of 5,040 secured home-ice advantage for the Panthers when the two teams reunite for their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
“It’s a fresh start. It’s a whole new ballgame,” said Panthers coach Joel Quenneville, a three-time champion leading the Chicago Blackhawks, of his postseason perspective as he looks to win one in South Florida.