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The Battle of Florida is starting to become a staple in the NHL's postseason. For the fourth time in the past five years, the Florida Panthers will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It has been an up-and-down rivalry, as the Lightning won the first two series when the Panthers were still up-and-coming. Then, Florida finally won last season as the defending Eastern Conference champions, with Tampa Bay on a down year. The 2025 edition of this rivalry could be the most star-studded and competitive matchup we have seen. The looming question for the Panthers is whether they'll have a healthy Matthew Tkachuk in the lineup.
Another issue for the Panthers is that Aaron Ekblad will serve the final two games of his PED suspension in Games 1 and 2. The Panthers made some big splashes at the trade deadline, showing the hockey world they are dead set on keeping the Stanley Cup in Sunrise for another season. Their first addition was Seth Jones, an immediate top-pairing guy on their backend, but the most shocking was acquiring rival Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins.
If they stay healthy, the Panthers have what it takes to go the distance again. The first round could be their most difficult, as some of their players will be trying to shake some of the rust off. The Lightning would also likely be their most challenging test in the Eastern Conference.
It's a downfall of the wild-card playoff system, but this series and the Colorado Avalanche-Dallas Stars matchup will be appointment viewing that hockey fans would probably rather see in a conference final setting. Nevertheless, the Panthers must take care of their rival early, and that reality is out of their control.
Matthew Tkachuk not being 100 percent is a nightmare scenario
The Panthers must have all hands on deck to defeat the Lightning in the first round. They did a great job bringing in assets at the trade deadline to supplement their team. It was made possible by the long-term injured reserve cap space from the absence of Tkachuk. You would need to handcuff Tkachuk to the dressing room door to keep him off the ice for Game 1, and he seems ready to rock.
The prospect of having Tkachuk, Marchand, and Sam Bennett in the same lineup is nightmare fuel for playoff opponents. The Battle of Florida has been intense enough over the years, but adding some Marchand fuel to that mix might turn it into a full-blown blaze. There's an argument to make that the winner of this series has a clear path back to the Stanley Cup Final, but the question is how much the winning team will have left for another possible 21 games.
Tkachuk, Bennett, Marchand, Aleksander Barkov, and Gustav Forsling have all been battling ailments at different times this season. It's a scary proposition for the Panthers to fight in the playoffs with any of these guys not at 100 percent, but Tkachuk would be the most significant. Florida's hopes rest on Tkachuk being able to fly around the ice, score important goals, and get in the other teams' heads. If he can't do that at maximum effectiveness, it'll be a problem.
Marchand might be able to shoulder some of that responsibility, but he isn't the player he once was. We saw how much the Panthers struggled without Tkachuk at full health in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals, and it could be a repeat of that disappointment in 2025.
Upset potential in other series is a dream scenario for Panthers
One positive aspect of the Panthers getting rid of the Lightning is that their biggest hurdle would be out of the way. The other Atlantic Division matchup will be the Ottawa Senators against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Battle of Ontario. It seems like the Senators have a great chance of pulling off the upset in that matchup, which would blow the East wide open for the winner of the Battle of Florida.
No teams should scare the Panthers on the other side of the bracket. The Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils, and Carolina Hurricanes are all ripe for a loss, and whichever team advances in the second wild card between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens shouldn't make any noise.
It could be a scenario that gets the Panthers in trouble if they take the rest of the playoffs lightly. However, the fans will feel good about the team's chances if they advance past the first round. It'll be important for Florida not to look too far ahead, but their fanbase will certainly keep a close eye on the rest of the bracket as the Panthers and Lightning do battle.
