Here They Go Again: Lightning Vs. Panthers In Round 1, For Sunshine State Hockey Supremacy

It's starting to feel like an annual tradition: Panthers vs. Lightning in the NHL playoffs, the battle of Florida, a matchup that has seemed to decide which team will eventually get to the Stanley Cup Final.

And here they go again.

Defending Stanley Cup champion Florida heads to Tampa Bay for Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round series Tuesday night, the start of the fourth postseason meeting in five years between the Sunshine State rivals. Tampa Bay won the East title in 2020, 2021 and 2022 Florida is trying to match that run of success after winning the East in 2023 and 2024.

"I think you see it every game we play, whether it's preseason in Orlando or whether it's Game 1 of the playoffs," Panthers forward Sam Reinhart said. "We've kind of known that the other one's going to be there at the end of the year. It's kind of always, we're going to have to go through each other. I think there's that respect there - but we almost love to hate each other."

Tampa Bay beat Florida 4-1 in 2021 on its way to a second consecutive Stanley Cup title and swept the Panthers in 2022 - giving up just three goals in that series. Florida beat Tampa Bay in six games last season, on its way to its first Cup win.