Trepidation was high amongst Florida Panthers fans leading up to Tuesday’s first game of the postseason. Many voices around the hockey world saw the Lightning as the better team and the most likely to take the series.
Panthers fans have to be feeling much better following their team’s decisive 6-2 victory on the road. The team played their style of hockey that they are known for. They were able to slow down Tampa’s high-octane offense while capitalizing on their opportunities.
A hot, fast start
It was a welcome sight for Cats fans to see Matthew Tkachuk back on the ice in a Panthers uniform. The game started fast on both sides, complete with hard checks that have become expected in this rivalry. The crowd was amped up in Amalie Arena, but an early tap-in goal by Sam Bennett tempered the noise.
After the Lightning tied the game on a Jake Geuntzel power-play goal, Tampa fans were back in a frenzy. The first period seemed destined to end with a tie score, but Sam Reinhart tipped in his own goal late to give Florida an edge at the first intermission.
Panthers take advantage in the second period
The turning point of the game came early in the second period. After Nate Schmidt scored to put Florida up 3-1, Lightning coach John Cooper decided to make a questionable challenge for goalie interference. The analysts on the game and many watching were confused by the decision, and it was no big surprise when the goal stood.
Lightning challenge for goalie interference but the original call of 'goal' stands after review.
— Shayna (@shaynagoldman_) April 23, 2025
Cooper went 1-0 on goalie interference challenges in the regular season pic.twitter.com/JMcYyMtbs9
The result of the failed challenge was the real backbreaker for Tampa. 14 seconds after the Schmidt goal, Tkachuk put the Panthers up 4-1 with a goal of his own. The crowd was in near silence at that point. Tkachuk added another power-play goal minutes later to pad the Florida lead.
The two teams traded goals by Brayden Point and Nate Schmidt (again) to close out the game round out the 6-2 final score.
This win was huge for Florida and puts all the pressure on the Lightning to respond in Game 2. If Cats fans want an encouraging stat, here’s a big one: the Panthers are 9-1 in postseason series in which they have won the first game. It also puts them in good shape going forward when they get Aaron Ekblad back for Game 3.
Panthers 3 stars of the game
1st star: Matthew Tkachuk
What more can I say about Tkachuk’s return performance? Any questions of rust or if he was close to 100% healthy were squashed in a big way. Two goals and one assist in just 11:43 of ice time. With Tkachuk back, the Panthers look like the elite team they can be, and that’s scary for the rest of the playoff teams.
2nd star: Nate Schmidt
Schmidt was in the right place at the right time all night. In doing so, he was rewarded with two goals. It was also his quick shot through Andrei Vasilevskiy that led to the failed Tampa challenge and subsequent goal 14 seconds later.
3rd star: Seth Jones
While not as impressive in the box score, Jones held his own in his first playoff action since 2020 with Columbus. The Panthers were able to keep the Lightning offense in check, and Jones was a big part of that. He led all skaters in ice time with 24:12 and had two blocked shots. Jones proved he can be a valuable piece to the Florida defense, particularly in Ekblad's absence.
Game 2 of the Battle of Florida series is scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 pm Eastern.