1 – BATTLE OF FLORIDA: Our weekly column finds us deep into the first round Stanley Cup Playoff series between the Florida Panthers and cross-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s their fourth playoff meeting in five years (Tampa won the first two, Florida won the last one), and the Panthers lead the best-of-seven affair 2-1 with the road team winning each game! Let’s get into it…
2 – CATCHING UP: Shockingly, the Panthers won the opening two games at Amalie Arena on Tuesday (6-2) and Thursday (2-0) to come home with a comfortable series lead. The games were nearly Xerox copies of each other. It was shades of last year’s Round 1 meeting where the Cats whipped the Bolts in five games and spelled the end of Tampa captain Steven Stamkos’s illustrious time on the Gulf Coast. But the Lightning retooled their roster last summer, and at last month’s trade deadline, for a reason. They roared back with a convincing 5-1 victory Saturday at Amerant Bank Arena to cut the Panthers’ series lead in half heading into Game 4 in Sunrise on Monday night.
3 – BAD BLOOD: Anybody who’s followed the Sunshine State Derby for decades will admit there hasn’t historically been much hatred between the two franchises. How could there be? They never met in the playoffs once before 2021 but now in their fourth postseason clash, the animosity has grown to the point some are calling it one of the NHL’s top rivalries. Need proof? Read on …
4 – “ONES WITH PUCKS”: Players – like the Cats’ Sam Bennett – have openly admitted in interviews that they hate the Lightning. Vice versa also seems to be true. In Game 2, Tampa’s Brandon Hagel laid out Florida captain Aleksander Barkov with what was penalized as a five-minute major for interference (the first I’ve ever seen called in hockey) and Hagel was subsequently suspended for Game 3. Panthers coach Paul Maurice was asked for a response and he spat, “The only players that we hit are the ones that have pucks.” Barkov – who’s never missed a playoff game in his 12-year career – was in danger of that streak ending but suited up for Saturday’s Game 3 loss and was asked about it afterwards. “I feel good,” the Finnish captain told reporters. “That’s why I was out there.”
5 – TIT FOR TAT: In the late stages of Saturday’s game, Florida MVP Matthew Tkachuk laid out a puck-less Jake Guentzel of the Lightning and was assessed a five-minute major for interference (the second time I’ve ever seen it called). A suspension looms and when asked about the hit afterwards, Tampa coach Jon Cooper quipped, “The only players we hit are the ones with pucks.” Touche! It would be shocking if Tkachuk wasn’t suspended, however he tends to get away with a lot that others don’t, so we’ll see.
**Update: The NHL announced on Sunday afternoon that there will NOT be a hearing for Tkachuk and his hit on Guentzel. Therefore, both Tkachuk and Hagel will be in the lineup for Monday’s Game 4.**
6 – JAKE THE SNAKE: The Lightning have insisted that NHL veteran sniper Jake Guentzel wasn’t signed last summer as a means to replace Steven Stamkos but it’s hard to think otherwise. And if so, he’s done a great job! The 30-year old from Omaha, Nebraska had 80 points in 80 games with Tampa this season and notched a goal and two assists in the Game 3 win. He also became the fastest US-born player to 40 career playoff goals. Guentzel did it in his 72nd playoff game, one better than previous record holder Joe Mullen.
7 – KOOOOCH: 2024-25 NHL Art Ross Trophy winner for regular season points, Nikita Kucherov (121 pts), is climbing the charts of another impressive record. The Russian marksman notched his 11th career three-assist playoff game on Saturday, making him #3 all-time. Only Wayne Gretzky (28) and Mark Messier (12) have more games with three or more helpers.
8 – NO BROOMS: For the fourth time since the inception of the current playoff format in 2014, there will be no first round sweeps. The other years were 2023, 2020 & 2016. Hockey people are howling for a format change to a 1-vs-8 formula, but I like it the way it is. Look at all the times the Panthers and Lightning are meeting under this bracket format! It’s great for travel for us media and fans.
9 – HOME COOKING: For the last two seasons, road teams won more playoff games than home teams. However home squads have flipped the script in the Spring of 2025, with home teams going 19-8 so far in these Stanley Cup Playoffs. But home ice will always matter, and be favored. Just ask the Panthers, who won the 2024 Stanley Cup with a 2-1 home victory in Game 7 over the Edmonton Oilers last June 24.
10 – RANKING THE SERIES: They say the first round is always the best and this year seems to be proving no different. Here’s our ranking of interest level across the NHL if you asked the average hockey fan: 1) Battle of Ontario/Ottawa-Toronto, 2) Colorado-Dallas, 3) Battle of Florida/Tampa Bay-Florida, 4) Edmonton-Los Angeles, 5) Vegas-Minnesota, 6) St. Louis-Winnipeg, 7) Montreal-Washinton, 8) New Jersey-Carolina.
See you at the rink!
(Rod Pedersen covers the NHL for the South Florida Tribune. He also hosts the award-winning Cats N Bolts Podcast and the daily Rod Pedersen Show on Game+TV, YouTube Live & Podcast)
