The latest chapter in the Battle of Florida gets underway tonight. The two Atlantic Division rivals finished second and third in the standings to set up the first-round clash.
The two Sunshine State teams have faced each other in the postseason three of the last four years. Tampa took the first two meetings, while last season the Panthers won the opening round series against the Lightning. This year's meeting is full of storylines for both sides. Here are the three biggest stories to track for Cats fans.
Matthew Tkachuk’s health
Panthers fans are rightfully excited to see the star forward back on the ice with the team. What is unclear is just how healthy Tkachuk will be coming off a lengthy injury. Coach Paul Maurice has declared him a game-time decision for game one. Tkachuk was activated off injured reserve today, which is an excellent sign for Florida fans.
Matthew Tkachuk has been activated from IR 👀 pic.twitter.com/MYuJjFg2aq
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 22, 2025
This isn’t the news Cats fans were hoping for. Signs and recent comments made by Maurice had pointed toward Tkachuk being available. If that is not the case for the start of the series, how long will it be? Without Tkachuk, the already difficult task of beating the Lightning gets much harder.
Florida’s defense vs Tampa’s offense
The Lightning boast the most potent offense in the NHL this year. Led by Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Jake Guentzel, Tampa averaged a league-best 3.54 goals per game this season.
Meanwhile, the Panthers put up solid defensive numbers throughout the season. They are seventh best in goals allowed per game at 2.72. Will their defense be able to hold up against the high-flying stars for the Bolts?
Florida may have the advantage when it comes to two-way forwards. Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, and Aleksander Barkov are all capable of contributing defensively as forwards. On the blue line, Seth Jones came over at the trade deadline from Chicago to help provide some depth. Thus far, he has been solid for the Cats and put in essential minutes in the absence of Aaron Ekblad. Speaking of Ekblad…
Aaron Ekblad’s Return
Florida’s top defenseman is eligible to return for game three of the series after his 20-game suspension concludes. How different will the Florida defense look upon his return? Will he be in game shape? How will he and Seth Jones mesh on the ice? These are all big questions that must be answered. They may need to be answered quickly if the Panthers lose the first two games in Tampa. They cannot afford to go down 3-0 and hope to win four straight against this Lightning team.
It will be key for the Panthers to at least split the first two games on the road. Then they can come home to Sunrise all even. From there, it would be a best-of-five series. If Tkachuk and Ekblad are both close to 100%, it becomes an entirely different series.