By Mike Bonts, Florida Sports Wire Hockey Writer
SUNRISE (Florida Sports Wire) – The Lightning and Panthers are facing each other in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third time in the last four seasons,
This will mark the third playoff series between the state-rival Panthers and Lightning, all in a four-season span. Tampa Bay has won each of the first two, sweeping Florida in the 2022 Second Round and defeating them 4-2 in the 2021 First Round – reaching the Stanley Cup Final each year including claiming a second straight championship in 2021.
Florida came into 2023-24 as a Stanley Cup Finalist, albeit one that had its share of doubters, with defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour each having offseason shoulder surgery and there being questions about whether the run was a fluke.
The Panthers have proven all those doubters foolhardy, spending much of the season vying to win the Presidents’ Trophy as the team with the NHL’s best regular-season record for the second time in three years.
The Bolts posted a 1-2-0 vs. FLA in the regular season, winning the only contest played at Amerant Bank Arena with a 5-3 victory March 16.
Nikita Kucherov (2-2—4) and Steven Stamkos (2-2—4) wrapped up the regular season tied for the Tampa Bay team lead in points vs. FLA in the three meetings this year.
Kucherov has found the scoresheet in eight of his 10 career playoff games vs. FLA (5- 13—18), including four of the five contests played at Amerant Bank Arena (3-4—7)
Stamkos has also picked up points in eight of his 10 career postseason games vs. FLA (5-7—12), including four of the five contests played in Sunrise (1-4—5).
Victor Hedman has recorded points in seven of his 10 career playoff games vs. FLA (0-11—11) and has picked up an assist in four of the last five meetings in the postseason (0-4—4)…In 10 career playoff starts vs. FLA.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is 8-2-0 with a .950 save percentage, 1.89 goals against average and two shutouts, including a road record of 4-1-0 with a .944 SV% and 2.02 GAA…Tampa Bay is 8-2-0 all- time vs. FLA in the postseason, including a road record of 4-1-0.
Kucherov (5-13—18) holds the Tampa Bay franchise records for career playoff points and assists vs. FLA while his five goals are tied with Stamkos (5-7—12) for the most among all skaters.
Kucherov has recorded 13-16—29 (26 GP) in series-opening games which trails only Evgeni Malkin (15-21—36 in 29 GP) and Sidney Crosby (14-20—34 in 31 GP) for the most points among active players in series-opening games.
