Panthers expect greater challenge
Lightning series will likely be different than one that ended season
SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers are going into their firstround Stanley Cup playoff series versus the Tampa Bay Lightning hot against their in-state rival. Winning the final two regular-season meetings by a combined score of 9-1 on Saturday and Monday, the Panthers went 5-2-1 against the Lightning.
But facing the defending Stanley Cup champions in the postseason stands to be a completely different gauntlet, even as Florida has secured home-ice advantage for the matchup of No. 2 and 3 seeds in the Central Division.
It’s not only because the team up I-75 went all the way in 2020 or that the Lightning are a far more postseason-experienced team, reaching the playoffs for the seventh time in the past eight seasons under coach Jon Cooper.
The Lightning roster the Panthers faced in the 4-0 win in the regular-season finale or 5-1 victory in the penultimate game will be drastically different from what they’ll see in the first postseason series between Sunshine State foes.
To start, star forwards Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos are expected to be available for the Lightning after Kucherov missed the entire regular season recovering from hip surgery and Stamkos has been out since April 8 with a lower-body injury. Both are reportedly expected to return for the playoffs.
“All of a sudden, you think you’re playing Texas Hold ‘Em, and now you’ve got a pair of aces right off the bat,” said Panthers coach Joel Quenneville of what his team is up against if Kucherov and Stamkos are back. “It’s a pretty good addition to your team. You get them back together, all of a sudden, your penalty kill is going to have different looks on it that you got to be aware of. Matchups, you got to be aware when those guys are on the ice — not that you don’t have
to worry about other guys when they’re on the ice — but their balance throughout their lineup is dangerous, their quickness, their possession, their intelligence.”
Kucherov was the Hart Memorial Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award and Art Ross Trophy winner in the 2018-19 season when he led the NHL with 128 points (41 goals and a league-leading 87 assists). He then led the 2020 postseason in assists (27) and points (34) in the Lightning title run.
Stamkos, 31, is the franchise’s all-time goals leader (439) and had 34 points (17 goals, 17 assists) in 38 games this season.
“They’re both really special players,” Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe, who won the Cup alongside of them as a rookie with Tampa Bay last season. “They’re obviously some of the best players in the league, and it definitely gives them a different look. But it doesn’t really change much from our side of things. You still want to play the same way. You can’t really focus on what they’re doing. We kind of want to just stick to what we do best, and that’s why we’re here.”
Now on the other side of the rivalry, Verhaeghe, who returned from a 13-game absence for a pre-postseason tune-up on Monday in which he scored a goal, also was able to pick up a few things from the elite Lightning forwards.
“Playing with those guys all year last year was huge,” said Verhaeghe, who posted 36 points (18 goals, 18 assists) in his sophomore season, tied with MacKenzie Weegar for third on the team behind Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. “There’s so many great players on that team. You can take something from a lot of the players. Stanley Cup run was huge. … What it takes to have success, they all know it, and I took a lot away from that run.”
Quenneville, originally making his “pair of aces” remark on Kucherov and Stamkos after the team’s Monday morning skate ahead of the regular-season finale, updated the sentiment at Wednesday’s practice to include Lightning defensemen Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh, whom the Panthers did not see in the last two regular-season meetings, to the hand Tampa Bay is holding.
“You got all four aces covered there,” said Quenneville. “I think great players have that ability to change the complexion of a game, and a lot of times can change the complexion of a series. You can say deny him the puck, but they always find the puck on their stick, so deny him quality opportunities is something you got to be aware of.
“Tampa’s got a lot of guys that have a high-end skill level, so it’s not just Kucherov that you have to be worried about, but there’s a ton of respect from our group here and not seeing him all year, I think won’t take long to getting acquainted with what his strengths are and we’ll go from there.”
Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat, who was second on the team in points (15 goals, 31 assists), also missed Monday’s regular-season finale.
Panthers center Sam Bennett, who was out Monday, was not seen at practice on Wednesday, but Quenneville said he skated earlier.
“We expect him to be playing and likely join the practice on Friday,” Quenneville said.
The Panthers and Lightning continue to await the NHL’s announcement of their series schedule. All that has been released as of Wednesday evening is that Game 1 of the East Division’s matchup between the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins will kick off NBC’s television coverage of the playoffs on Saturday night.