Hockey in Florida has entered a boom period. The Tampa Bay Lightning have been a model organization for nearly a decade, winning two Stanley Cups. Now, the Florida Panthers are beginning to emerge. They made the Stanley Cup Final last year in a losing effort. In 2024, they hope to flip the script in the NHL Playoffs.
The Panthers are likely a nightmare matchup for most teams. Florida is one of the most physical teams in the league. And they have the ability to match any team in all facets of the game. They aren’t the most explosive offensive team, but they can definitely outscore teams. Furthermore, they can smother opposing offenses, and their goaltending is among the best in the league.
All that said, the Panthers have a nightmare matchup of their own. It’s a team they have met a few times in the NHL Playoffs. And it’s a team that has had their number almost every time they meet in the postseason. If Florida wants to win the Stanley Cup this season, they need to prepare for this potential matchup.
The Lightning have Florida’s number in the NHL Playoffs
The Tampa Bay Lightning have met the Panthers twice in the NHL Playoffs recently. In 2021, they met during the very first round. Florida actually finished the COVID-shortened season one seed higher than Tampa Bay. And they had won five of the eight matchups they’d played during the regular season.
However, the Panthers did not come out on top in the first playoff matchup between the intrastate rivals. Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stood on his head over the course of the series. Tampa Bay won the series in six games before going on to win the Stanley Cup over the Montreal Canadiens.
These two teams met again one year later. This time, the Panthers and Lighting went at it in the second round of the NHL Playoffs. These teams split the regular season series, but the playoff contest was much more decisive. Tampa Bay won the series in a four-game sweep en route to their third straight Stanley Cup Final.
The Lightning have simply had Florida’s number in the NHL Playoffs. And while the Panthers may be better now, the inability to defeat a team can have a mental effect in the postseason. It’s a unique trait that Tampa Bay brings that other potential matchups may not have over Florida.
When the Panthers may meet Tampa Bay
There are two scenarios in which the Panthers and Lightning may meet. The first scenario is the most likely one. Florida finishes second in the Atlantic Division, taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round. Florida defeats them while the Lightning take out the Boston Bruins to advance to round two.
The second scenario is less likely, but still possible as of now. In this scenario, the Panthers end up winning the Atlantic Division. As a result, Florida would draw the Lightning in the first round of the NHL Playoffs. Tampa Bay is locked in as the first wild card team out of the East no matter what.
When these teams meet, if they do, remains to be seen. What is clear, though, is that the Panthers may need to face a ghost of the past. If they can beat the Lightning, it could give them the final push toward their goal of the Stanley Cup. In any event, it’s certainly a matchup hockey fans will want to tune into if it happens.
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