In one corner, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. In the other, the champions of the Presidents’ Trophy. Two concessions separated by a few hundred kilometers. And two teams that can’t feel each other.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers, for the title of best team in the state — and much more.
The two clubs face each other in the playoffs for the second consecutive season, a duel that begins Tuesday on the Panthers’ ice rink. Last year, the Lightning got the better of the Panthers in six games in the first round.
“The Panthers are a whole team,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. We watched them all year. We had incredible battles against them. I think people, especially those in Florida, have been begging for the two title contender teams to face off. Last year, several people said it was possibly the best series of the playoffs. They revamped their team and acquired several great players. We should have fun. »
The Lightning won their seventh game against the Toronto Maple Leafs to continue their quest to become the first to win three Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders (four cups) from 1980 to 1983. For their part, the Panthers won a first series in 26 years by beating the Washington Capitals in six games; now they have the chance to avenge last year’s setback.
“This is where things get interesting and rivalries form. It’s when you play against the same team in the playoffs over and over… And we know how it’s going to be, noted Lightning captain Steven Stamkos. It was quite a series last year. »
Clash of the Titans
The NHL began awarding the Presidents’ Trophy in 1986 to the team with the best regular-season record, and since then it’s the ninth time the winners of the trophy have faced the defending Stanley Cup champions. in the playoffs.
In the last eight games — the last one having taken place in 2017, when the Capitals lost in seven games against the Pittsburgh Penguins — the victory has been divided equally: four wins for the champions of the last series, four for the supporters of the regular season title.
” [Tampa Bay] is a great team,” Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said. They are who we want to be. This is a great opportunity for us. »
One factor could weigh in the balance of the duel: the presence of striker Brayden Point at the Lightning. No one has scored more playoff goals (38) in the past five years than the Canadian center. In particular, he scored 14 times on the power play (also a peak in this regard in the given period) and is tied for first place in winning goals (7). However, he was injured in the final game in Toronto and is not expected to take to the ice on Tuesday.