It’s playoff season in Florida—where the hits are heavy, the tension’s high, and even the palm trees take cover.
For the fourth time in the past five seasons, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be facing off against their cross-state rival the Florida Panthers.
The state of Florida has become a fixture of the NHL postseason. For five straight years, either the Lightning or Panthers have punched a ticket to the Stanley Cup Final—and there’s no reason to believe this year will be any different.
The Panthers are likely to have Matthew Tkachuk back, Luke Glendening is close for the Lightning
The Florida Panthers took the ice in Fort Lauderdale on Monday for a final pre-Stanley Cup Playoff practice. Matthew Tkachuk has not played since February's 4 Nations Face-Off, where he suffered a suspected groin injury early into the start of the game.
As for the Lightning, Luke Glendening has been a full participant in every postseason practice and looks to be nearing his return for Game 1.
“I think so. One is teetering,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said when asked about having a full lineup Tuesday. “It’s really unfortunate that we don’t have Oli, but these last few days have been a blessing—some much-needed rest and recovery before what we hope is a long run.”
Jon Cooper confirmed Saturday that forward Oliver Bjorkstrand will remain sidelined for the first round. Bjorkstrand is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury that he sustained during on April 11 against the Detroit Red Wings.
Goaltending
This series could very well come down to goaltending. Since the 4 Nations Face-off in February, Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky have both looked sharp, but Vasilevskiy has had the edge throughout the entirety of the season. The Lightning have tightened things up on the back end, which has helped.
The return of veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh has changed the way the Lightning approach the game defensively.
At this point last year, Tampa Bay ranked 23rd in goals allowed—now, they sit fourth in the league. That turnaround was a top priority for GM Julien BriseBois heading into the offseason, and the results speak for themselves. Tampa Bay has allowed just 39 goals in its past 20 games.
“You can tell by looking at the numbers, we’re top five in goals against,” said Vasilevskiy. “So a great team effort this season on the defensive side.”
Since the 4 Nations face-off, Vasilevskiy has had a 1.89 goals-against average and .927 save percentage. Bobrovsky had a 1.95 GAA with a .914 save percentage. Both had three shutouts.
Quiet? Maybe. Improved? Absolutely.
This year, the Lightning bring with them the NHL’s top scorer in Nikita Kucherov, four 35-goal scorers, a top-five power play, a top-six penalty kill, and a goaltender playing like it’s 2021 all over again. Yet—somehow—they’re still described as flying under the radar. Call it fatigue, call it familiarity, it just is.
"We’ve played Florida numerous times,” Cooper said on Thursday. “There is nothing that (Panthers coach) Paul (Maurice) doesn’t know about us and I don’t know about them, other than, maybe who’s going to be in the lineup for them in Game 1. Other than that, there’s no secrets."
The Lightning aren’t a group that likes to talk about themselves—but a quick glance at the numbers says plenty.
“There’s 32 teams. There’s only 16 left. We’re one of the 16,” said Cooper. “I think every year, we get looked at as, ‘OK, their time’s over.’ And every year, these guys come back and prove they can do it. It’s been amazing to be part of for more than a decade.”
A quiet confidence, proven pedigree—and once again, the Lightning are back in the mix.