Diandra Loux of THN Tampa and David Dwork of THN Florida give their reasons why each team will win

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are finally upon us.

The Florida Panthers are in the big dance for the fifth consecutive season and set to face off against their cross-state rivals from Tampa Bay.

Game 1 between the Cats and Bolts is set for Sunday at 12:30 p.m. from Amerant Bank Arena.

This will be the third time in four years that the Panthers have faced the Lightning in a postseason series, with Tampa advancing in six games in 2021 and sweeping the Cats out of the second round the following year.

Before we get to all the fun, THN Florida and THN Tampa Bay are collaborating for a couple quick preview posts.

You can check out the THN Florida’s answers over on the Lightning page. Here is what THN Tampa writer Diandra Loux thinks about the series:

Why the Panthers will win the series –Physicality

The Panthers are no stranger to chaos, and when you mix that with their physicality, it can often throw their opponents out of sync.

It’s worked for them for the past few years, and I can’t imagine round one will any different.

The Panthers also have solid defensive depth, something the Lightning have been missing this season. They’ll rely on that to slow down the speed of some of the Lightning’s stars.

Why the Lightning will win the series – Goaltending and championship pedigree

Andrei Vasilevskiy has really started to find his game in the last month.

The last time these two teams met on March 16, he made 47 saves, sealing a win for the Bolts. If he’s on his A-game, look out.

The Lightning are built for the playoffs, and they’ve won more than any other team in the league the past five years.

They know how to win a playoff series, and once they flip the switch, the leaders take over.

Experience goes far in the postseason, and this could help push them forward.

This will be the X-Factor in the series – Special teams

The Lightning have the top power play and one of the top penalty kills in the entire league.

Florida is no stranger to penalty minutes, often embracing them as part of their game.

The worst thing they could do is power play over to Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos & Brayden Point.

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