Matthew Tkachuk

Jake Guentzel Nikita Kucherov celebrating a goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning

NHL Playoffs: Lightning Grind Out First Win of Series in Game 3

Down 0-2 in the series and going on the road, the Tampa Bay Lightning knew they had their work cut out for them heading into Game 3. They were dealt another blow Friday night when Brandon Hagel was suspended one game for a late hit on Aleksander Barkov, making him ineligible to play in this […]

Florida Panthers Brad Marchand celebrating a goal

NHL Playoffs: Tampa Bay Lightning Offense Struggles in Game 2 Loss

Coming off an embarrassing loss in Game One, the Tampa Bay Lightning knew they needed to be a lot better in Game Two to avoid going down 0-2 in their first-round series against the Florida Panthers. They were in most facets of the game, but a weak goal allowed by goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and a […]

Bobrovsky makes a save while Mikkola defends against Point.

3 Takeaways from the Florida Panthers & Tampa Bay Lightning Game 2 | 04/24/2025

Tempers flared and boiled over in Game 2 at Amalie Arena. The Panthers took a strong 2-0 series lead on the back of stellar defense that suffocated the Lightning’s offense. Florida fans, while happy with the win, are far more concerned with the status of Barkov, who took a dirty hit from Hagel in the […]

Tkachuk celebrates his goal with his teammates at the bench.

3 Takeaways From The Florida Panthers & Tampa Bay Lightning Game 1 | 04/22/2025

There were plenty of questions and doubts surrounding the Florida Panthers coming into Game 1 of the playoffs after ending their season with a rough couple of weeks. That season-ending needs to be taken with a grain of salt, given how many players the Cats were resting on any given night, especially the final game […]

NHL Playoff Preview: Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning with Line Combinations 4/24/2025

NHL Playoff Series Preview: Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Different year, same first-round matchup, welcome back to the Battle of Florida. The in-state rivalry is back for the fourth time in five years, but slightly different than last year’s. Tampa holds home ice advantage this time around, as they finished second in the division while Florida finished third. The Cats were in the division […]

3 Takeaways From The Florida Panthers & Tampa Bay Game 04/15/2025

82 games are now done and dusted. All eyes can turn to the playoffs and title defense. The Florida Panthers closed out their regular season on the road against Tampa Bay, and while some called it a round 1 preview, I disagree to a certain extent. The Cats were resting Barkov, Reinhart, Forsling, Lundell, Greer, […]

3 Takeaways From The Florida Panthers & Toronto Maple Leafs Game 04/08/2025

The losing streak is over, and a statement was made. Florida snapped its five-game losing streak with a dominating win over the Leafs, although Joseph Woll kept the game closer than it probably should have been. Hopefully, a win like this one will calm the nerves of Panther fans who had been doom and gloom […]