Eastern Association | The Battle of Florida

Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Sixteen points separate the Panthers, leaders of the Atlantic section, from the Lightning, first club drafted. But Tampa Bay is arguably the most formidable opponent for a section winner. The absence of goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy in the first half of the season and the slow departure of the stars on offense, except Nikita Kucherov, explains the Lightning’s sixth place in the standings in the East. Tampa Bay still has the core of winning two Stanley Cups with Kucherov, Hedman, Vasilevskiy, Point and Stamkos still in place, and they are in their prime.

Unfortunately, the Lightning cannot expect the return of their defenseman Mikhail Sergachev before mid-May, but this team has maintained one of the best records in the NHL without him since January. Kucherov is the best scorer in the National League with 144 points. Point reached 46 goals. Tampa Bay has the best power play performance in the regular season with a 28.6% success rate, but the Panthers are sixth on the penalty kill with an 82.5% rate.

The Panthers are now experiencing success in the playoffs with a surprising participation in the final last year. They too have elite players on offense with Sam Reinhart, 57 goals, Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. Sergei Bobrovsky continued his momentum from last year’s playoffs with a 36-17-4 record, a 2.37 GAA and a .915 save percentage.

Players to watch

Tampa Bay : In a recent NHL Players’ Association survey of League hockey players, Andrei Vasilevskiy largely dominated his colleagues in choosing the best goaltender for a seventh playoff game.

Florida: Even though Reinhart and Tkachuk had more points in the regular season, Aleksander Barkov is the key player for the Panthers, a center capable of excelling in all facets of the game.

Players under the radar

Tampa Bay: Obtained from the San Jose Sharks for a pittance, Anthony Duclair has 15 points in 17 games since his arrival in Tampa and plays on the first line with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov.

Florida: Obtained on waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes in 2021, Gustav Forsling is one of the most underrated defensemen in the NHL. He has 39 points this season and plays on average 22:09, a minute more than Aaron Ekblad.