NOTEBOOK: Panthers ready for 'exciting challenge' of facing Lightning

In today's Baptist Health Practice Notebook, the Panthers are getting ready for a playoff rematch with the Lightning, Aaron Ekblad and Ben Chiarot are both doing fine, and more!
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. - I think the band OK Go put it best.
"Here it goes again."
Riding high after winning their first playoffs series since 1996 by dispatching the Capitals in six games in Round 1, the Panthers will now look to avenge their first-round loss to the Lighting in last year's playoffs when the intrastate rivals collide for a highly anticipated rematch in Round 2.

"It's an exciting challenge for us," Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said after Sunday's practice at the Panthers IceDen. "They're what we want to be, and we've got an opportunity to play them again to get that chance. It's been a fun rivalry the last few years."
Considered by many fans and pundits both within and outside of the Sunshine State as the most-exciting series in last year's playoffs, the Panthers, despite being eliminated in six games, arguably gave the Lightning their toughest test en route to their second straight Stanley Cup.
With no shortage of firepower or fisticuffs, the two teams combined for 41 goals and 204 penalty minutes over the course of their enticing six-game slugfest that stretched across Alligator Alley.
Per NHL stats, this rematch will mark only the seventh time in the league's long history that two teams from the same state or province will face each other in the playoffs in consecutive years.
"It's going to be exciting," Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour said of getting another shot at taking down the defending champs. "This is a team that's had our number - had every team's number - the last couple years. It's always battle against these guys. We're up to the challenge."
With that bad blood spilling over, the always-enthralling "Battle for Florida" was as entertaining as ever during the 2021-22 regular season. Combing for 196 penalty minutes, each team won two games during the heated four-game series, while the Cats edged the Bolts 19-15 in goals.
Dating back to the start of the 2020-21 regular season, the Panthers and Lightning have faced each other 21 times if you include their preseason matchups and their first-round series in 2021.
Given that familiarly, there's definitely a lack of both love and secrets between the two clubs.
"We're much more familiar with Tampa with how much we played them last year," Brunette said. "We saw them a little bit earlier, but haven't seen them in a long time. We're familiar with their lineup and how they play and what they went to do."
After trailing 2-1 in their best-of-7 series with the Capitals, the Panthers won each of the next three games to move on to Round 2 for the first time this millennium. Carter Verhaeghe, who has quickly become a household name in South Florida, led the team with 12 points (six goals, six assists) against Washington, including netting the game-winning goals in Games 4, 5 and 6.
Also coming from behind to win their series, the Lightning climbed back from a 3-2 deficit in their series with the Maple Leafs, including a 2-1 win in Game 7 on Saturday to move on to Round 2.
Watching that series unfold, the Panthers really didn't have a preference when it came to their future opponent. After all, there was really no easy choice between the two. The Maple Leafs won 54 games during the regular season, while the Lightning were right behind them with 51 wins.
"Two great teams going at it," Panthers forward Sam Reinhart said when asked about the series between the Maple Leafs and Lightning. "It was just nice sitting on the couch knowing we didn't have our own Game 7. We knew no matter who we ended up playing that it would be tough."
And tough matchups are what this time of the year is all about.
"I think it brings out the best intensity out of both teams," Reinhart said. "These were the kind of matchups that I was excited about when making the move down here last summer. Everyone wants to get to where [the Lightning] have been the last couple years. It's a great opportunity."
Like Reinhart said, there was certainly a benefit to taking down the Capitals in six games.
Earning some extra time to rest up before hosting the Lightning sometime next week, the Panthers held an optional practice this morning in which, by my count, 17 players attended.
Among the bevvy of players that took the option were Aaron Ekblad and Ben Chiarot - both halves of Florida's current top-defensive pairing - as they were both banged up during Friday's series-clinching 4-3 overtime win over the Capitals at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
Despite leaving that game early with undisclosed injuries, both players eventually returned.
"That's playoff hockey," Brunette said of the toughness his players showed in the win. "We've got a resilient, hard group that wants to win bad. They weren't going to let anything stop them."
When asked about the status of the two blueliners following practice, Brunette said that Ekblad "will be OK" and that Chiarot "should be fine" heading into the next series against the Lightning.
In less encouraging news, forward Mason Marchment, who scored a pair of goals during a breakout performance against Tampa Bay in last year's playoffs, will likely miss the start of Round 2 while recovering from an injury that caused him to sit out Games 5 and 6 against Washington.
"Mush probably won't be available for Game 1," Brunette said.
On the other side of the matchup, forward Brayden Point, who's scored 38 goals in 74 career playoff games, is questionable for the Lightning after suffering an injury in Game 7 at Toronto.
But does that potential absence change how the Panthers are preparing for the series?
"It doesn't at all," Brunette said very matter-of-factly. "They're a great team. They're very well coached. They're the Tampa Bay Lightning for a reason."