The Florida Panthers eliminated local rivals the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the first round of the 2025 NHL playoffs. The Panthers won Game 5 in the series 6-3 to advance to the next round in the postseason.
The series was not without controversy, with fans of both sides accusing the NHL of inconsistent officiating and players on both teams earning suspensions for illegal hits and on-ice conduct.
Matthew Tkachuk Sets Sights On Next Round of NHL Playoffs
Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk appeared for an interview with sports broadcaster TSN after the Panthers clinched the series in Game 5. He spoke about the perceived local rivalry with the Bolts and the Panthers’ plans for the rest of the postseason.
“I don’t know if it’s really a rivalry, but it’s nice to beat them back-to-back years, both in five. So it’s been fun playing them,” Tkachuk said.
“We’ve had some success, the last couple years and hopefully can keep that momentum going, but you know it’s a hard-fought series. Obviously, I guess we don’t like them. I know they don’t like us excited that series is over and we can move on.”
Matthew Tkachuk had this to say about the battle of Florida 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/Eee7CWCBNl
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 1, 2025
With four goals, Tkachuk was one of the top performers for Florida in the contentious series that saw Bolts forward Brandon Hagel get a one-game suspension for a hit on Florida captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2.
Controversially, Tkachuk did not get suspended for a similar hit in Game 3 against Lightning player Jake Guentzel.
The NHL Department of Player Safety did, however, issue a two-game suspension to Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad for a revenge hit on Hagel during Game 4.
The Panthers and the Lightning have faced each other four times (2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025) in the past five playoffs, with the winner of the series reaching the Stanley Cup final on the past three occasions. While the Bolts won the series in 2021 and 2022, the Panthers won the 2024 series in five games on their way to their first-ever Stanley Cup championship.
“It means a lot and obviously we’re doing some things right,” Florida captain Aleksander Barkov said via NHL.com. “Most of the guys have been through this for a long time. We know what it takes, and we keep working for that. Every year it gets harder and harder … this year has been really hard, but we’re happy with the end result.”
The Panthers will face the winner of the playoff series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators in the second round. Toronto leads 3-2 in the series, with Game 6 being played on Thursday, May 1, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.