As the NHL heads into its Olympic break, Thursday night’s clash between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers at Benchmark International Arena isn’t just another regular-season matchup - it’s a rivalry game with real weight. And while the standings tell one story, the emotions behind this one tell another.
Let’s start with the obvious: these two teams are heading in opposite directions. The Lightning are red-hot, riding an 18-1-1 stretch over their last 20 games.
That run began with a 4-2 win over the Panthers back on December 27, and since then, Tampa Bay has looked every bit like a team with serious Stanley Cup aspirations. They’ve won 16 of their last 18 and sit atop the Atlantic Division.
The Panthers? It’s been a different story.
Heading into their game against Boston on Wednesday night, Florida was in last place in the Atlantic and nine points out of the final playoff spot in the East. They’d dropped four straight, and the injuries have piled up.
Captain Aleksander Barkov is out for the rest of the regular season. Matthew Tkachuk only returned to the lineup on January 19.
Seth Jones went down during the Winter Classic, and the team has also been without Brad Marchand, Anton Lundell, and Sam Bennett - though Bennett was expected to return against Boston.
That’s a tough hill to climb, and Lightning assistant coach Dan Hinote made it clear there’s no sympathy coming from the other side.
“It’s massive for many reasons, the rivalry being just one of them, but also where they are - we don’t want to do them any favors,” Hinote said. “You know, we hate them, they hate us.
Maybe they’re struggling a little bit, maybe they’ve got some injuries. That’s the time to step on their neck.”
That’s not just talk. The Lightning are dealing with their own injury issues, including top-line center Brayden Point, who’s been out since January 12.
Centers Anthony Cirelli and Nick Paul are both expected to be re-evaluated after the Olympic break. But Tampa Bay has kept rolling, thanks in large part to Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The Lightning’s star goaltender has been lights-out. Over his last 16 games, he’s gone 15-0-1 with a .919 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average. That stretch includes two overtime wins and three shootout victories - the kind of clutch performances that separate good teams from great ones.
Meanwhile, Sergei Bobrovsky has struggled in net for Florida. Since allowing four goals on 19 shots in the Panthers’ Winter Classic loss to the Rangers on January 2, Bobrovsky has dropped eight of his last 11 starts. He’s posted a .829 save percentage and a 3.81 goals-against average during that span - numbers that just won’t cut it, especially for a team trying to claw its way back into the playoff race.
“[Florida’s] missing some very important key guys, and it’s not working for them as well as the past,” Hinote said. “That doesn’t mean that they can’t string together 18 and find their way in the playoffs. So all the more reason why we have to approach it like we’re tied in the standings and we hate them.”
The stakes are high on both sides. The Panthers are desperate for points, and the Lightning want to keep their momentum rolling into the Olympic break.
With nine players from each team heading to Milan, there could be a temptation to take the foot off the gas. But don’t count on that happening - not in a rivalry game like this.
“We don’t want to go into break throwing a no-hitter because everyone’s going to the Olympics,” Hinote said. “We want this game to be just as much as if it’s two or three weeks from the Olympics.”
That sentiment echoed in the Lightning locker room. Forward Gage Goncalves knows better than to take Florida lightly, regardless of the standings.
“They’re a good team, whether their record’s been showing it as of lately,” Goncalves said. “They’re the back-to-back Cup champions, and they can turn on at any time. So we’re hoping to try and keep them as quiet as possible, and hopefully even kind of keep our streak going.”
This isn’t just about bragging rights. It’s about two teams with a history of bad blood, playoff battles, and no love lost. And with so many players soon to swap NHL sweaters for their national team colors, Thursday night’s game is a final chance to make a statement - and maybe throw a few hits - before the break.
Lightning vs. Panthers.
Rivalry. Playoff implications.
Olympic send-off. Buckle up.