SUNRISE, Fla. — A familiar rivalry reignites as the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning clash once again in the NHL playoffs—a face-off that has become a staple event for hockey fans in the Sunshine State. The two teams are set to battle for a shot at the Stanley Cup Final, continuing a fierce rivalry that has defined recent playoff seasons.
The reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, are gearing up to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round matchup on Tuesday evening. This marks the fourth time in five years that these two Florida teams have faced off in the playoffs. Tampa Bay held the Eastern title from 2020 to 2022, while Florida seeks to replicate that streak with their wins in 2023 and 2024.
Panthers forward Sam Reinhart emphasizes the intense yet respectful rivalry between the teams. “Every game is intense, whether it’s preseason in Orlando or a playoff opener,” Reinhart explains. “The other team is always in the back of your mind. It’s a mutual respect thing; love to hate, but in a respectful way.”
Previously, Tampa Bay overcame Florida with a 4-1 series win in 2021 en route to their second consecutive Stanley Cup victory and shut out the Panthers in 2022, allowing only three goals. Last year, Florida turned the tables, defeating Tampa Bay in six games and clinching their first Cup victory.
Brayden Point, a Lightning forward, acknowledges the importance of these showdowns, noting, “We know them, they know us. It’s bound to be a tightly contested series and we’re all looking forward to it.”
In goal, Tampa’s Andrei Vasilevskiy and Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky are both in prime form. Since play resumed in February, Vasilevskiy boasts a 1.89 goals-against average with a .927 save percentage, while Bobrovsky has a 1.95 GAA and .914 save percentage. Each goalie also secured three shutouts during this period. Recalling last year’s success, Bobrovsky reflects, “Last year was last year. New season, new challenges. We’re here to enjoy it and give it our all.”
The Florida-Tampa rivalry is close by many measures:
— They’ve each won 47 games this season.
— Their head-to-head encounters this season are tied, 2-2.
— Out of the last 20 meetings, playoff games included, both teams have 10 wins.
— Their last 40 meetings have each ended in 128 goals.
— Total games played tally up to 168 meetings with both teams sharing 80 wins each and eight ties.
For the past five years, the state’s teams have made it to the Stanley Cup Final each year. Should either team triumph again this year, it would mark a significant streak not seen since the Alberta teams reached finals eight straight seasons from 1983 through 1990. New York was the last U.S. state to have a six-year consecutive finals streak, achieved with the Rangers and Islanders in the late 1970s and early 80s.
Tampa Bay’s head coach, Jon Cooper, has an impressive 87 playoff victories with the Lightning, the third-most for any coach with one franchise in NHL history. While he dreams of eclipsing Al Arbour’s 119 wins with the New York Islanders, his sights are set on surpassing Glen Sather’s 89 wins with Edmonton. Cooper remarks, “We’re one of 16. Every year, people say our time is up, but these guys prove them wrong time and again. It’s been incredible to be a part of for so long.”
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov secured the scoring title this season with 121 points, marking his second consecutive top finish and third straight 100-point season. However, the normal curse stands—a scoring champion hasn’t played for the eventual Cup winner since Evgeni Malkin’s Penguins in the 2008-09 season. In the last 25 years, only four 100-point players have hoisted the Cup in the same season, including Malkin and Crosby in 2009.