The Florida Panthers are headed to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. They are challenging the Tampa Bay Lightning for home ice in the first round despite a ton of injuries. Matthew Tkachuk has been out since the 4 Nations Face-Off, and his playoff status is up in the air. But the Panthers are getting Sam Bennett and Dmitry Kulikov back from injury just in time for the postseason.

“He is 100 percent, and he got himself to that point,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said of Bennett, per NHL.com's George Richards. “We had a little time, and that was just a buffer for me. There was a chance he would not get to 100 percent for two or three more days, but he is ready, he is skating, and he wants to play. He feels that playing is far better for him than not, so he plays. If there is any lingering concern, you don’t play.”

Original reporting indicated that Bennett would be out for the remainder of the regular season, but he comes back with two games left. Kulikov is also expected to play for the Panthers against the Rangers on Monday night. Their last game is Tuesday against Tampa, so we'll see if they play the back-to-back.

The Panthers need to be fully healthy to win the Stanley Cup again

Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) skates with the puck against the Calgary Flames during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
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The Panthers won the Stanley Cup last year because of their incredible depth and great goaltending. Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, and Carter Verhaeghe led the team offensively while Sergei Bobrovsky dominated between the pipes. If Tkachuk, Bennett, and Kulikov are all healthy, they have a great chance at winning the conference for the third straight year.

The Panthers will likely face the Lightning for the fourth time in five years in the first round. They just need one point in their final two games to clinch that matchup. If they win both games, they could steal home ice from their rivals, which could be huge for the series.

The Lightning provide a stiff test, as their offense continues to click with the playoffs less than a week away. And if the Panthers win this Battle of Florida, they may be facing a pressure-packed Maple Leafs squad in the second round. Or, it could be a house-money Senators squad. The Western Conference is getting the attention, but the Eastern Conference will be just as tough.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Sunday.