Sandis Vilmanis scored fifteen seconds into overtime to give the Florida Panthers a 2-1 preseason victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena.
After picking off Victor Hedman’s crossing attempt, Anton Lundell raced up ice before getting bumped off the puck by Anthony Cirelli. Vilmanis picked up the loose disc and slung it through Andrei Vasilevskiy’s five hole to end the game.
Vilmanis also drew the primary assist on veteran Zac Dalpe’s second period power-play goal. After taking a short return pass from the 20-year-old Latvian, Dalpe beat Vasilevskiy from long-range to open the scoring at the 3:30 mark. Uvis Balinskis picked up the secondary assist on the play.
Vilmanis, who put a game-high six shots on goal, has played four preseason games and produced three goals and two assists. Could he find himself on line with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen to open season? Perhaps… If not, he has definitely shown a lot of promise.
Spencer Knight started and went the distance for the Cats. Knight delivered a strong performance that saw him stop 26 of 27 Tampa Bay shots and likely lock-up the backup goaltender spot behind Sergei Bobrovsky.
The Lightning’s only goal of the game came with 4:33 left in regulation when Brayden Point won a faceoff to Nikita Kucherov and he wired a shot home to even the score.
Josh Davies laid a huge hit on Hedman and fought fellow prospect Conor Geekie, Balinskis logged a game-high 22:43 TOI and blocked three shots, and the Panthers penalty kill went a perfect 3-for-3.
The Cats will finish the exhibition slate on Saturday night, when the face the Los Angeles Kings in Quebec City. Expect another round of roster cuts today.