Here we are. All 32 NHL teams played all 82 regular season games. These 2624 games eliminated the bottom half of the league. The top 16 teams now play for the best trophy in all sports. The first team to win 16 games wins the Stanley Cup. The two teams that call Florida home will meet again in the postseason. Welcome to the Battle of Florida in the 2025 NHL Playoffs.
A Look at The Battle of Florida
For the Tampa Bay Lightning, another rendition of the Battle of Florida with the Panthers. The Cats are the reigning Stanley Cup champs. The Lightning own home ice. Game 1 begins Tuesday night at Amalie Arena at 8:30 pm.
We don’t yet know the outcome but we know it’ll be a barn burner. These two Atlantic Division foes played four games this season. Each team won two. Both teams won 47 games during the regular season. These two teams are mirror copies of each other.
Over the last 20 games against each other including playoffs, each team won 19 games. Not convinced yet? Go back 40 games between these two including playoffs. You guessed it, each team won 20 games. All I’m saying is that these two teams are exactly like the other. In the last five seasons, these two teams won three Stanley Cups. The Lightning have the 2-1 edge there. So, we can expect a close series.
The Panthers expect Matthew Tkachuk and Aaron Ekblad back from injury. The Panthers were holding firm for most of the season atop the division. They slid down to third place after losing Tkachuk and the Ekblad. The Cats did acquire two veterans at the trade deadline.
Brad Marchand from Boston and Seth Jones from Chicago were brought in. Both players have struggled a bit acclimating to their new team. Getting Tkachuk and Ekblad will help the Panthers. Both returning players need to acclimate with the two new acquired players.
Battle of Florida Prediction
The Lightning will be without one of their deadline acquisitions. Oliver Bjorkstrand will miss at least the first round of playoffs. The other player they got from Seattle along with Bjorkstrand was Yanni Gourde. Since returning to Hockey Paradise, Gourde has fit in nicely. Expect bigger and better games in the postseason from Gourde. Especially in this first round series.
Not only are these two teams close statistically but they also have something else in common. Both teams seem to have the same level of hatred for one another. If Gourde excels at anything he loves to get under the skin of his opponents. The Cats will feel the Gourde hate. Is it enough to get them off their game? Maybe, maybe not but it’ll be fun watching this.
As close as this series is, I believe the intangibles favor the Lightning. Never underestimate the value of having home ice. Tampa also has the best offense in the league. Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel are without a doubt the best line in the league.
As far as predicting this series. I’ll take the Lightning in seven. I just think this Lightning team is better prepared for a long postseason run. Haven’t felt that since the back to back Cups. I also think Florida will continue their late season struggles.
