Stanley Cup Playoffs without the Panthers Opens Door for a New Champ

The Panthers said that beating their nemesis Lightning in 2024 was a dragon they needed to slay if they wanted to win the whole stinkin’ thing.

That 4-1 series win over Tampa Bay certainly did help the Panthers win their first Stanley Cup championship.

A year later, the Panthers started Round 1 in Tampa — and it didn’t matter much. Florida won it in Game 5 just like before.

This came after the Lightning knocked out the Panthers in the First Round in 2021, and swept them out of Round 2 in 2022.

“At some point, you knew you were going to have them again, and you’ve got to be able to get over that hump. We did it this year,’’ Sasha Barkov said in 2024.

“You want to beat them. You want to get over that hump. Big respect to them. They’ve been unbelievable the past few years, making the Finals and winning those Cups. ….

“This time we got the best of them.”

The Bruins have not seen the Panthers in the playoffs the past couple of years and, well, this Boston team is a little different than the one that lost to Florida in the second round in 2024.

Boston even lost captain Brad Marchand since then.

He, of course, plays for the Panthers these days.

But, the Panthers and Bruins rivalry is the one Paul Maurice points to as the one that comes to the forefront of the heat the comes from two teams playing each other in a best-of-7, win-or-go home environment.

And, in 2023, the eighth-seeded Panthers sent the NHL’s best team home when they upset the Bruins in 7.

Then they knocked them out again in 2024.

The Panthers and Lightning did not need to add any fuel to their rivalry.

The Panthers/Bruins became rivals based on the past couple of postseasons.

Maurice even sad he would pay good money to see the Panthers play the Bruins.

“It’s as heavy a hockey series that I’ve ever seen,’’ Maurice said. “If we did 82 games, there would be nothing left of these men. But it is hard and fast, highly skilled at times and brutal and violent at times. It’s what all of the best parts of hockey is, the Bruins series.”

Then, of course, comes the Edmonton Oilers.

If you’re the Oilers, you have to be thrilled the Panthers are hitting up Elbo Room after their rounds of golf right now.

Edmonton has been through two thrilling playoff runs with wins over the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final each time.

That got the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final — and ultimately, heartbreak at the hands of the Panthers.

In 2024, the Oilers trailed 3-0 in the series before storming back to win the next three and force a Game 7.

Rallying from a 3-0 hole and winning the Stanley Cup would have not only been historic, but it probably would have done damage to the Panthers that may not have been completely restored over the years.

Instead, the Panthers flipped the narrative and ignored the storyline everyone in the sports world — save for fans of the local team — wanted to see.

The Panthers won Game 7 in Sunrise in 2024, then won Game 6 to keep the Stanley Cup around by beating the Oilers again in 2025.

”Last year was like heartbreak,’’ Connor McDavid said. “This year was more angry.”

At least this postseason, the Panthers cannot make anyone angry.

Perhaps they will try.

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: ROUND 1

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (Atl2) v MONTREAL CANADIENS (Atl3)

GAME 1

• When: Sunday, 5:45 p.m.
• **Where:**Benchmark Arena, Tampa
• **Tampa Local TV:**The Spot-66
• National TV: TNT/truTV
• Streaming: HBO Max
• Season Series: Tampa Bay won 2-1
• All-time Regular Season Series: Lightning leads 63-43-11, 6 ties
• **All-time Postseason Series — Lightning Lead 3-1:**Won 2021 Stanley Cup Final (5 games); Won 2015 Round 2 (6); Lost 2014 Round 1 (4); Won 2004 Round 2 (4)
• Series Schedule — Game 1: at Tampa Bay, 5:45 Sunday (TNT, truTV); Game 2: at Tampa Bay, 7 Tuesday (ESPN2); Game 3: at Montreal, 7 Friday (TNT, truTV); Game 4: at Montreal, 7 April 26 (ESPN); *Game 5: at Tampa Bay, April 29 TBD; *Game 6: at Montreal, May 1 TBD; *Game 7: at Tampa Bay, May 3 TBD

This article: Stanley Cup Playoffs without the Panthers Opens Door for a New Champ originally appeared on Florida Hockey Now.