Hockey fans who loved the most recent edition of “The Battle of Florida” between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers are getting treated to the third edition of the playoff rivalry.
The Panthers, the defending Stanley Cup champions, will face their in-state rival Lightning, in the opening round of this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs. It’s the second consecutive season they meet in Round 1; the Panthers beat the Lightning in five games in the 2024 playoffs before moving on to beat the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers in Rounds 2 and 3, respectively.
But one concern on the minds of Panthers fans everywhere is the status of Matthew Tkachuk, who hasn’t played since Feb. 20 as part of Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
What Is Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk’s Injury Status vs. Lightning?
According to Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, Tkachuk is all but assured to play in the opening game of the series.
“So there isn’t anybody that I would say that I know is not ready for Game 1,” he said. “That there’s an injury there that’s week to week. We had some guys just overuse injuries. I think in the last two weeks, we had some guys’ minor groins, things like that, and we’ll hold them out of practice tomorrow unless they’re right there. Like, we’re not going to run them hard early in this to set anybody back. But everybody is possible from Game 1.”
The Panthers and Lightning drop the puck in Game 1 on Tuesday, April 22, from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.; game time is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.
The Panthers have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in consecutive years, though their run in 2023 may have been more memorable due to the sheer improbability.
The final team to earn a playoff berth on the last day of the 2022-23 regular season, the Panthers were matched up against the 65-win Boston Bruins and were looked at by most as a complete afterthought.
However, the Panthers shocked the hockey world by pulling off a stunning seven-game upset of the Bruins that was capped by Carter Verhaeghe’s overtime-winner in the deciding game at Boston’s TD Garden.
Following series wins over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes, the Panthers ran out of gas against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights. But they got the job done the following season, denying the Edmonton Oilers the chance to become the first Canadian-based NHL team since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup.
