Chris Driedger of Winnipeg, Manitoba recorded his fourth career National Hockey League shutout on Monday. The 26-year-old netminder made 30 saves as the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.
Driedger made eight saves in the first period, 12 saves in the second period, and 10 saves in the third period. Ross Colton led the Lightning with five shots on goal.
Offensively for the Panthers, Juho Lammikko led Florida with two points (one goal and one assist). The other Panthers to score a goal were MacKenzie Weegar of Ottawa, Ontario, Carter Verhaeghe of Toronto, Ontario, and Alexander Wennberg.
With the win, Driedger improves to a record of 14 wins, six regulation losses, and three losses in extra time. He has three shutouts, a goals against average of 2.07, and a save percentage of .907.
Also this season, Driedger blanked the Nashville Predators 2-0 on March 20, and the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 on April 4. Driedger’s other NHL career shutout came in a 3-0 Panthers win over the Predators on November 30, 2019.
With the win, the Panthers clinched second place in the Central Division with 79 points. They are set to play the Lightning in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This will be the first time the NHL’s two Florida-based teams will have met in the postseason.
