Apr 27, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (71) and Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) push each other during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Game One: Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning
Time: 8:30 PM EST
Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa
TV/Stream/Radio: FDSNSUN, Scripps, ESPN, 102.5 FM, Lightning App
Odds: Lightning -118
Know the Opponents: Litter Box Cats
The wait is over. Now more time for talk (well, a little more time for talk). The practices are done. It’s time to play the game.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are finally taking the ice in front of a ramped-up Amalie Arena crowd to get their first round series under way. The Lightning and Panthers are the last series to get started, and several other match-ups have already have two games worth of drama under their belts. Neither Jon Copper or Paul Maurice are particularly mad about the wait as both teams needed a bit of a break.
With the long break between the end of the season and the start of this round, both teams have been able to get a little rest and some much needed practice in before the intense slog that is the playoff March begins. It has also allowed a few beat-up players some time to get back into the line-up. For the Lightning, it appears that everyone but Oliver Bjorkstrand is ready to go. Both Luke Glendening and Mitchell Chaffee were on the ice for their latest practice, and should enter the series without any injury designations.
Down in Sunrise, the Panthers Pied Piper, Matthew Tkachuk, was also on the ice and appears ready for his first NHL action since February 8, and his first game action since February 20, when he suffered an injury in the United States 4 Nations Face-off game against Canada. They will still be without the services of Aaron Ekblad as the defenseman has two games left on his suspension.
Is tonight a must win for the Lightning? Not quite, but it would be really, really nice if they did. No matter what shape the Panthers are in, a team doesn’t want to be chasing them. That works in a series or in a game. The best way to beat Florida is to get a lead and make them get out of their comfort zone and press to catch up. They are aggressive, sometimes overly so, so if they’re chasing the Lightning around the ice or in the series, they are more vulnerable.
It’s not going to be a pretty series by any means. These teams don’t like each other, and the chances that this turns ugly at some point are high. The Bolts are going to have to make sure they are composed and not prone to taking bad, retaliatory penalties. Not so much that the Panthers power play is lethal, but more so that playing short-handed gets the Lightning out of their rhythm. Try and keep it to 5v5 and Tampa Bay has a really good chance.
Whoever wins the battles along the boards and in front of the net will win this series. The Lightning are better equipped this year for that type of battle, especially defensively. Adding Yanni Gourde to the Point line gives them a little more grit in that department while moving Jake Guentzel to the Cirelli line gives that line a little more offensive power. The battle of the third lines will be interesting as Florida is going with veteran experience while the Lightning appear to be going with youth.
No matter which line is on the ice, the goal will be to limit mistakes and second-chance opportunities for the Panthers. Make them react to the Lightning’s play instead of dictating it and the Lightning should have an excellent chance of walking out with a win.
Buckle up, we’ve been waiting an entire year for this.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Forwards:
Yanni GourdeBrayden PointNikita KucherovBrandon HagelAnthony CirelliJake GuentzelConor GeekieNick PaulGage GoncalvesZemgus GirgensonsLuke GlendeningMitchell Chaffee (?)
Defense:
Victor HedmanJ.J. MoserRyan McDonaghErik CernakEmil LillebergNick Perbix/Darren Raddysh
Goaltenders:
Andrei VasilevskiyJonas Johansson
Florida Panthers
Forwards:
Carter VerhaegheAleksander BarkovSam ReinhartMackie SamoskevichSam BennettMatthew TkachukEetu LuostarinenAnton LundellBrad MarchandEvan RodriguesNico SturmJesper Boqvist
Defense:
Gustav ForslingSeth JonesNico MikkolaDmitri KulikovUvis BalinskisNate Schmidt
Goaltenders:
Sergei BobrovskyVitek Vanecek
