Florida
Dave Hyde: Dagger! Florida Panthers crush Tampa Bay to take dominating 3-0 lead
Sure, just as everyone said before the playoffs began, this is one great, in-state hockey rivalry.
In South Florida.
In Tampa, they’re booing now. In St. Pete, they’re livid. On west coast of Florida, they can’t believe their big weapon, Nikola Kucherov, hasn’t scored or how their top-rated power play was harmless in four chances Thursday in the Panthers’ 5-3 win in Game 3.
It’s 3-0 in the series now, meaning the remnants of Tampa Bay’s proud Stanley Cup dynasty is being ground to dust like the Ming Dynasty by the Florida Panthers.
“I thought the big story would be the penalty-killing,’’ Panthers coach Paul Maurice said about Game 3.
This series’ big story is bigger. It’s better. It’s Panth-ier. The story is that Vegas’s co-favorites to win it all have entered the playoffs in just the manner you’d want a team with championship aspirations to do.
They’ve come out and taken the lead every game. Their goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky, hasn’t been asked to do too much but has made big moments when asked. Their specialty teams like, yes, the penalty kill, have flexed their muscle.
The Panthers’ big guns have come out gunning in these opening games, too. Sam Reinhart scored his second goal of the series on Thursday minutes after Tampa Bay had its first lead of the series, 2-1. Brandon Montour then made it 3-2 from just inside the blue line.
This series has been so one-sided that Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk has been able to hone his shooting at empty nets. He got his second such goal to end Game 3. Can someone call Elias for the record on empty-net goals in a series sweep?
“The depth of this lineup is a joke, right?” said Steven Lorentz after the game on Bally Sports.
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Lorentz scoring on the fourth line. That’s who.
No joking, these Panthers made a run to the Stanley Cup Final last spring and are better this spring. That doesn’t mean they make it back. It just means it’s going to take a special team or hot goalie to knock them off and Tampa Bay isn’t it.
The most impressive stretch for the Panthers of this series was the third period Thursday when they entered with a goal lead and Tampa Bay knew its season was effectively on the line.
The Panthers gave up seven shots in that period to the league’s fifth-ranked offense. Seven. Sure, Tampa Bay scored with five minutes left to cut it 4-3, but the Panthers weren’t releasing their vise grip on this series.
Tampa Bay’s big offense has taken 19, 23 and 29 shots this series. That’s nothing.
“We’re in a position right now that we would have dreamed about at the beginning of the series,” Tkachuk said. “We’re in a great position. To stand here now and say we’re up 3-0, I’ll gladly take it.
“But there have been stretches where they’ve played really, really well. think it’s been a close series so far in the first three games.”
That’s just the defense-first, grind-like-a-banshee style of this team.
“We never dominate games that’s not really who we are,’’ Maurice said. “Most of are games we are in the grinder. That’s how our games are played. And battled.”
Some things beyond taking too many penalties Thursday will have to be cleared up as the playoffs run. They’re not all hockey-centric, either. Montour, for instance, wore an odd T-shirt after the game that seemed to be decorated with pictures of veteran teammate Nick Cousins.
Quirky? Well, this team has the quirk gene in it.
More than that, it has a playoff gene. A contending gene. It can close out this series Saturday in Tampa Bay with a win. Tampa Bay has won enough series through the years to know the trouble it’s facing.
Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said, “You want the believers to show up to the rink (Friday). And if you’re not going to believe, then you don’t have to come. We’ll see how many guys show up.”
That’s what the Panthers have done to a former champion. This big state rivalry only feels big in one part of the state.
The Florida Lotto jackpot has been climbing steadily for weeks. On Saturday, July 18, 2026, the prize had grown to $2.75 million.
Recently, a trip to the grocery store really paid off: A $2 Florida Lotto ticket made someone a multimillionaire.
Because as they say in the lottery business, “it could happen to you.”
One ticket matched all six numbers in the $6.75 million Florida Lotto drawing on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, a few days before July Fourth.
After four rollovers, including the most recent one on Wednesday, July 15, the Florida Lotto has grown to $2.75 million for Saturday, July 18. That follows the National Lottery Day holiday, which was Friday, July 17. Check back after 11:15 p.m. ET for Saturday’s winning numbers. We’ll see if there’s a winner or another rollover.
In case you’re wondering, Wednesday’s winning Florida Lotto numbers were 13-17-31-37-38-45. Double Play numbers were 3-8-18-22-35-38.
Who won $6.75 million Florida Lotto drawing Wednesday, July 1, 2026?
Was it you?
The Wednesday, July 1, 2026, winning Florida Lotto numbers were 4-5-25-33-42-52. Double Play numbers were 7-17-22-44-46-47. According to the Florida Lottery’s site, there was another perfect match in Fort Lauderdale just before the July Fourth holiday.
The quick pick ticket was purchased from Publix, 1415 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and is worth $6,750,000. On Saturday, July 11, the ticket was reported as claimed with the Fort Lauderdale winner opting for the one-time lump sum of $3.6 million, the state’s lottery posted on its site.
Below is what to know about lottery odds, how long to claim the cash option if you bought a ticket in Florida, and what happens to unclaimed prize money, according to the Florida Lottery.
Winning Florida Lotto numbers for Saturday, July 18, 2026?
Florida Lotto drawings are at 11:15 p.m. ET every Wednesday and Saturday, including holidays. Check back for Saturday, July 18, winning Florida Lotto numbers. We’ll see if there’s a winner or another rollover.
How do you play the Florida Lotto?
According to Florida Lottery game rules, Florida Lotto players pick 6 numbers between 1 and 53 or select a Quick Pick ticket. There are prizes for matching three to six numbers. Players who match two of 6 winning Florida Lotto numbers get a free ticket.
The Florida Lottery site states game add-ons include Double Play for $1, a bonus drawing where players could win up to $250,000 using the same numbers (Double Play drawings are held immediately after Florida Lotto drawings). Another Florida Lotto game add-on is EZmatch for $1 per play. If players match any EZmatch number to their Florida Lotto numbers, they instantly win that prize.
Tickets start at $2. Good luck!
When was the last Florida Lotto won? How long has the jackpot rolled over?
Florida Lotto drawing for the 2026 July Fourth holiday started fresh at $1 million after a ticket from a Fort Lauderdale Publix store won the Wednesday, July 1, 2026, drawing.
The new streak for Florida Lotto reset to $1 million for the Saturday, July 4, 2026, drawing. Below is a recap of lottery drawings for the latest streak.
When is the next Florida Lotto drawing? What are the odds, chances of winning Florida Lotto lottery?
Florida Lotto drawings are held at 11:15 p.m. ET on Wednesdays and Saturdays, including holidays. According to floridalottery.com, players have a 1 in 22,957,480 chance to match all six numbers whether the jackpot is $1 million or $36 million. Prizes range from $2 to the grand prize jackpot, which varies.
The next Florida Lotto drawing will be on Wednesday, July 22.
How long do you have to cash in a Florida Lottery ticket?
Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.
Does the Florida Lottery reveal lottery winners? Can you stay anonymous if you win lottery in Florida?
According to Florida Lottery’s website, winners cannot remain anonymous: “Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner’s name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information.”
However, the site states, the “names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner.”
Does Walmart sell lottery tickets? Where to buy lottery tickets in Florida
In Florida, most gas stations and some grocery stores sell lottery tickets. It’s harder to find a gas station that doesn’t sell Powerball, Mega Millions, Florida Lottery and scratch-off tickets than it is to find one that does.
Publix also sells lottery tickets and is known for selling many winning tickets. A lesser-known location is Walmart. Whether the Walmart location closest to you sells lottery tickets depends on your state and the store. Many Walmart locations in Florida have self-service lottery ticket vending machines or sell lottery tickets at the customer service desk.
You can use the “Where to Play” search tool on the Florida Lottery website to find a grocery store or gas station near you that sells lottery tickets.
(This story will be updated to include new information.)
Lianna Norman and Jennifer Sangalang are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, lotteries, rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
Florida
Area to watch for tropical development in Gulf to bring downpours to drought-stricken Florida | Latest Weather Clips | FOX Weather
Area to watch for tropical development in Gulf to bring downpours to drought-stricken Florida
While this area to watch for tropical development may not actually become tropical, it will definitely bring rain to Florida, which desperately needs it. The system is likely to bring the most significant rain to the Florida panhandle down south to Tampa, but the entire state can expect some moisture through midweek next week.
Gulf system to bring downpours to Florida
FOX 13 Meteorologist Jim Weber is continuing to watch an area in the Gulf that is expected to bring much-needed rain to Florida this weekend. He said the system will likely drift to the north and northwest and will linger before heading to the northeast. He said to get a tropical depression, or a tropical storm there needs to be winds and a closed low and he is not seeing that in the models yet. Weber is also tracking a system off the coast of Africa that has a 10% chance of developing over the next week. He says it will likely enter a hostile environment and dissipate.
TAMPA, Fla. – Forecasters are tracking a broad disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast that could bring much-needed rain to parched communities this weekend.
Gulf tropical development potential
What we know:
Models continue to indicate there is a potential for an area of low pressure to form over the northeast Gulf off the west coast of Florida over the weekend.
The National Hurricane Center says an area in the Gulf has a 30% chance of tropical development over the next seven days.
Models a shifting away from the forecast of the system moving over the state and off the coast of the Carolinas. Models are now indicating a more likely scenario that it lingers in the Gulf over the weekend and may drift more to the northwest near the Florida Panhandle or Louisiana coast. Early next week conditions look like they will become less conducive and may prohibit much development. Regardless of whether it organizes, the system will bring tropical downpours and increased moisture across Florida and parts of the Southeast.
FOX 13 Meteorologist Jim Weber states we are close to 7.50″ below average on our rainfall in Tampa for the year. A weak area of low pressure or tropical system can be beneficial in helping to make up for the rainfall deficit we have been experiencing. Drought conditions continue over much of the state of Florida. If this system ends up drifting more westward, it would limit the total amount of rainfall and the highest totals would be along the immediate west coast.
Atlantic tropical development potential
A tropical wave southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands remains disorganized.
It is moving west-northwest and, according to the NHC, there is a chance for slow development over the next day or two. By the weekend it is expected to move into less conducive conditions and Saharan dust will begin to affect this wave, limiting its moisture. The time for this system to develop is very limited and will not develop after the weekend.
The NHC is giving it a 10% chance of developing.
Weather factors and storm names
What we don’t know:
Officials cannot yet confirm if the disturbance will overcome environmental hurdles like land interaction, wind shear and dry air. Computer models remain uncertain on how much this system will develop over the waters of the Gulf. If it stays over the warm waters of the Gulf longer, it may give it additional time to organize. Interactions with land and wind shear will likely pose obstacles in further development.
To become a tropical system, it must develop a defined circulation with organized thunderstorms. If it reaches maximum sustained winds of 39 mph, it will become a tropical storm and be named Bertha.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13Meteorologist Jim Weber, the National Hurricane Center tropical weather outlooks, as well as forecast computer models.
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