Panthers  2    Lightning  3

Florida Panthers (1-3-0) at Tampa Bay Lightning (1-1-2), 7:30 p.m.

Sports Network | October 12, 2009

(Sports Network) - Two Southeast Division foes get together tonight, when the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Florida Panthers to St. Pete Times Forum.

Tampa Bay lost its first three games of the 2009-10 campaign and 12 in a row dating back to last season before posting a 5-3 victory versus Carolina on Saturday. Ryan Malone recorded his third career hat trick and both Steve Downie and Paul Ranger lit the lamp for the Lightning, who won for the first time since March 24 against Columbus.

Lightning goaltender Antero Niittymaki made 24 saves in the win, his first with Tampa Bay after being signed in the offseason from Philadelphia.

"I think we played our best game so far this season," Niittymaki said.

Tampa Bay last won two in a row from March 12-14, 2009 after a 4-1 triumph at Toronto and a 4-3 shootout victory at Florida. Lightning blueliners Kurtis Foster (lower body) and David Hale (flu) are questionable for Monday's game, while netminder Mike Smith (soreness/back) is listed as probable.

The Panthers, meanwhile, have lost three straight since a season-opening victory against Chicago. In Saturday's 3-2 setback versus the New Jersey Devils at BankAtlantic Center, Rostislav Olesz and Stephen Weiss scored a goal apiece for the Panthers, who are an NHL-worst 1-for-16 on the power play.

Tomas Vokoun saved 38-of-41 shots in net for Florida in defeat.

"We have to get this right quickly. It's only going to get tougher down the road," Vokoun said. "Right now we're not playing well enough to win. That's the bottom line."

Florida and Tampa Bay have split the past 14 contests. The Lightning, though, are 10-5-2 as the host in this series since February of the 2003-04 campaign.