How The Panthers are Different, The Same, Since Last Playoffs Bout With The Lightning

Sunrise, FL – It’s still the same rivalry, just a little bit different. The hatred between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning is still there, especially in the playoffs. It’s still Vezina Trophy winners, Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy, standing about 200 feet apart from each other. And it’s still going to be four to seven games of unbridled physicality and grittiness.

But aside from that, this isn’t the same Lightning team that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. And it’s certainly not the same Panthers team that got swept at the hands of the Lightning after Florida’s Presidents’ Trophy campaign in 2021-22.

“We’re a completely different team,” Sam Bennett said after Florida’s division-clinching victory against the Boston Bruins on April 16. “We play a different game. We have different systems. Honestly, (we have) a lot of the same guys, but we’re a completely different team. So you can’t really take too much from that series.”

Bennett is one of 11 current Panthers that played in that series against Tampa Bay in 2022. 

Now Under New Management

The Panthers brought in Paul Maurice as head coach after that series, offering outgoing head coach Andrew Brunette a high-ranking position in the organization, but opted to sign as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.

The first part of the 2022-23 season was rough, to say the least. The Panthers played with a combination of Brunette’s run-and-gun offense-first strategy, and Paul Maurice’s staunch defensive-minded strategy. That mixture didn’t work, and when the Panthers bought in to Maurice’s philosophy, everything seemed to click. The Panthers won six of their last eight games of the regular season before making it to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in franchise history, losing to the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Maurice on the battle of Florida:

“This is the series I’d be watching if I were a [neutral] fan.” #TimeToHunt #GoBolts

— Armando Velez (@Mandoman12) April 20, 2024

However, the Panthers didn’t have to go through their playoff krypotine in the postseason last year. The Lightning were eliminated in the first round before they got the chance to play Florida. Therefore, this is the first playoff version of the Battle Of Florida that Maurice and Panthers alternate captain will be playing in. 

Beat the Best to be the Best

When Matthew Tkachuk was first traded to Florida from Calgary in the 2022 offseason, he said “I hate Edmonton, but I hate Tampa more now.” After the final game of the season on Tuesday, Tkachuk praised Tampa Bay for being a “perennial contender” for the past several seasons.

“So hopefully this is like a way for us to show that we’re one of those teams now,” Tkachuk said. “And there’s just no better way to start this journey (than by playing) Tampa first. I think it’s the perfect, perfect opportunity for us.”

Lots of players aren’t with Florida anymore. Defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, as well as fan-favorite, Jonathan Huberdeau, were part of the trade to Calgary to get Tkachuk. Also, former Panther forward Anthony Duclair is with Tampa now after a brief stint with the San Jose Sharks. 

Despite the changes on the ice and behind the bench, the way the veterans and the newcomers speak about the rivalry remains the same.

“Both of us know how to play hard,” Maurice said. “Both teams have some high-end skill on it. But it’ll be a great battle. It’ll be great for the fans, right? The energy, I haven’t experienced that yet. So I’m new to this. I’m looking forward to it.”