(1WC) Lightning at (A1) Panthers
Eastern Conference First Round, Game 1
Sunday, 12:30 p.m. ET; BSSUN, BSFL, ESPN, SN, TVAS
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- When the Florida Panthers open the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena on Sunday, they will try to do something they have never done -- defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning in a postseason series.
The Panthers, who have lost the first two series against their in-state rival, have home-ice advantage, having won the Atlantic Division in their final regular-season game. The Lightning, for the first time in their history, enter the playoffs as a wild card.
The roles are reversed in another way: Florida enters this postseason after reaching the Cup Final last season. Tampa Bay, which went to the Cup Final for three straight seasons from 2019-20 to 2021-23 -- winning the Cup in 2020 and 2021 -- lost in the first round last season.
“We know from past experience ... once that puck drops, it’s game on,” Lightning forward Steven Stamkos said Saturday. “Things can change and happen pretty quickly in a series. I don’t think we’re necessarily embracing any role, we’re going into the playoffs and we’re playing a very good team. We've had some great battles with them in the past, they’re a different team this year, we’re a different team this year.”
Panthers coach Paul Maurice said both teams will be ready to go.
"Sometimes, the regular season can get a little dull, it's a grinder," he said. "[The playoffs] are like all of the good stuff, it's like you don't have to eat your vegetables. It's just the good stuff that you want, no vegetables, but I like vegetables. You know what I'm talking about. It's like Christmas morning, you don't have to wait till dinner to eat.
“It’s the best.”
The Panthers should get a big boost with defenseman Aaron Ekblad back in the lineup after he missed the final six games of the regular season with a lower-body injury. He ended up playing in four of the final 13 games. Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev practiced in a regular jersey in Tampa on Saturday. He has not played since breaking his leg in game at the New York Rangers on Feb. 7 and is doubtful to play in this series.
Here are 3 keys for Game 1:
1. Panthers staying out of the penalty box
The Lightning had the best power play in the NHL this season, clicking at 28.6 percent. And it’s no wonder, with forwards Nikita Kucherov and Stamkos, center Brayden Point and defenseman Victor Hedman on the first unit with forward Nicholas Paul in the bump position. Kucherov (53), Stamkos (39), Point (32) and Hedman (31) combined for 155 power-play points, with Paul having 14. Florida was tied for sixth in the NHL on the penalty kill this season (82.5 percent), but would be tempting fate by putting Tampa Bay on the man-advantage.
"Some of the best players in the world,” Ekblad said. “They have been together for a really long time, so that's what makes them really lethal.”
2. Lightning big 3 scoring goals
One reason Tampa Bay didn't get out of the first round last season was because its top scorers didn’t score. In its six-game loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kucherov (one goal), Point and Stamkos (two each) combined for five goals. In fact, Kucherov and Point scored all their goals in a 7-3 win in Game 1. Compare that to Florida, which got five goals from forward Matthew Tkachuk and four from forward Sam Reinhart in its seven-game first-round win against the Boston Bruins.
3. Containing Tkachuk
The Panthers forward proved to be a postseason force to be reckoned with last season, at times taking Florida on his back and leading them to the Cup Final. Sure, the Panthers have Reinhart, who scored 57 goals this season, and always dangerous center Aleksander Barkov, who had 80 points (23 goals, 57 assists) in 73 games, but Tkachuk, who had 88 points (26 goals, 62 assists) is the heart and soul of this team.
The Lightning need to find a way to contain him.
“He’s a much better hockey player for us this year than he was last year,” Maurice said.
Lightning projected lineup
Anthony Duclair -- Brayden Point -- Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel -- Anthony Cirelli -- Steven Stamkos
Michael Eyssimont -- Nicholas Paul -- Mitchell Chaffee
Tyler Motte -- Luke Glendening -- Tanner Jeannot
Victor Hedman -- Darren Raddysh
Nick Perbix -- Erik Cernak
Emil Lilleberg -- Matt Dumba
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Matt Tomkins
Scratched: Austin Watson, Calvin de Haan, Conor Sheary
Injured: Haydn Fleury (upper body), Jonas Johansson (lower body), Mikhail Sergachev (leg)
Panthers projected lineup
Vladimir Tarasenko -- Aleksander Barkov -- Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe -- Sam Bennett -- Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen -- Anton Lundell -- Evan Rodrigues
Nick Cousins -- Kevin Stenlund -- Ryan Lomberg
Gustav Forsling -- Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola -- Brandon Montour
Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Dmitry Kulikov
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz
Scratched: Steven Lorentz, Tobias Bjornfot, Kyle Okposo, Uvis Balinskis, Josh Mahura, Evan Cormier
Injured: None
Status report
Bobrovsky will make his 19th consecutive playoff start, dating to Game 4 of the first round against the Bruins in 2023. … Cormier was recalled from Florida of the ECHL to serve as the No. 3 goalie.
NHL.com correspondents Corey Long and George Richards contributed to this report
