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Panthers fall in rookie tournament finale

Connor Brickley, drafted in the second round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Panthers, finishes the 2015 rookie tournament with three goals. (PHOTO: Harry How/Getty Images)

Connor Brickley, drafted in the second round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Panthers, finishes the 2015 rookie tournament with three goals. (PHOTO: Harry How/Getty Images)

The Florida Panthers wrapped up the 2015 Rookie Tournament at Germain Arena in Estero Florida Tuesday afternoon, dropping a 4-1 decision to host Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Panthers finish the tournament with a 1-2-0 record as the focus now turns to the main NHL camp that opens on Friday in Sunrise, Florida.

Potential Portland Pirates forward Connor Brickley scored for the third straight game, scoring the lone goal for the Panthers.

“I think this game was our best game from a compete standpoint,” Brickley said following the game. “Obviously two rival teams, it definitely gets pretty heated out there. We had a good practice yesterday. We talked about how we wanted to get the compete level up on all four lines. I think it showed with a lot of penalties and scrums. All in all, obviously the score didn’t show it, but the boys played hard. Now we just take it to the next step for main camp.”

Brickley scored a power-play goal early into the second period to even the game, 1-1. Panthers’ defensemen Michael Matheson and MacKenzie Weegar, who both could be with the Pirates this season, notched assists on the goal.

Jake Dotchin put the Lightning back in front, 2-1, midway through the second period with a slap shot from the point, beating Panthers’ goalie Sam Montembeault.

Montembeault, who was selected by the Panthers in the third round (77th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft, stopped 19 of 23 shots in his tournament debut.

Tampa Bay’s rookies put the game away in the third period on goals by Matthew Peca and Joel Vermin as the Lightning extended its lead, 4-1.

Adam Erne opened the scoring for the Lightning with the power play goal in the first period.

Although the Panthers faulted, Portland Pirates head coach Tom Rowe took away several positives from today’s contest including posting 40 shots on goal.

“The good thing today is that we competed a lot harder than we had the previous two games,” said Rowe. “We played with a lot more pace. I feel that was good.”

“I thought we got a lot better gauge of some of [our prospects] today.”

NOTES: Cumberland native Brian Hart took part in the game for the Lightning today. Hart has spent the last three seasons the ECAC with Harvard where he tallied 18 goals, 32 assists for 50 points in 98 games. The 21-year-old, who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lighting in the second round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, won a Class B boys’ varsity ice hockey title at Greely High School in 2009 where he scored 28 goals, 21 assists for 49 points. Hart, who will likely be with the Syracuse Crunch this season, has two assists in three games for the Lightning during the Rookie Tournament.