A Shift of Power in Rivalry Between Panthers and Lightning

For years, the Florida Panthers and their cross-state rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning, coexisted fairly quietly.

The two teams never really developed the animosities, on ice or in the stands, to support their geographic proximity.

When the Panthers were good early on, the Lightning were bad.

When Tampa Bay got good, the Panthers went south.

On and on it went.

Only recently did their matchups generate the interest of other proximate rivals, such as the Islanders-Rangers or Flames-Oilers.

The Panthers-Lightning rivalry shows how the balance of power changes rapidly in NHL hockey.

This fact of cap-era life is never more evident than when a team wins or comes close to winning the Stanley Cup.

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A good season means players have had career years and, in the case of expiring contracts, are looking for big paydays.

The Panthers are a prime example of how good teams are structured. 

A large chunk of the payroll goes to retaining stars, which leaves other deserving players no alternative but to seek their fortune elsewhere.

Tampa Bay, which won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021 before losing to the Avalanche in the 2022 Final, know this game as well as anyone. 

When it comes to the Panthers-Lightning rivalry, it started to hit its peak in the Covid-shortened 2021 season when the teams were both strong. 

Back in the day, the media tried to goad then-Lightning coach John Tortorella into an inter-state feud. 

His team had the upper hand — the Lightning won the state’s first Stanley Cup in 2004 — and he knew it. 

This rivalry, Tortorella said, would only happen if both were good at the same time — and finally met in the playoffs. 

In 2021, Florida and Tampa Bay played eight times in that shortened season before going 6 in a first-round playoff series won by the Lightning. 

Familiarity breeds contempt, especially in hockey.

In 2022, the year the Panthers won the Presidents’ Trophy, the Lightning embarrassed the Panthers with a four-game sweep in the second round. 

In the four wins, Andrei Vasilevskiy gave up just three goals. 

Corey Perry scored as many goals as the entire Florida team.

After that debacle, Bill Zito made a series of drastic changes, eventually making the Panthers the superior team.

Tampa Bay, at the same time, was suffering from attrition after three straight trips to the Final.

The Bolts’ fortunes continue to turn this season with the loss of Steven Stamkos and Mikhail Sergachev.

They have lost critical components since their 2020 Cup win due to cap constraints. 

Among the personnel lost include Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Yanni Gourde, Alex Killorn, Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, etc.

And Carter Verhaeghe.

Let’s not forget, the cap-strapped Lightning could not afford to tender the fourth-line forward a deal and he became a free agent.

Verhaeghe came south and became a star with the Panthers. 

Today, the Panthers have made it to the playoffs in four straight seasons, have been to the Stanley Cup Final in the past two — and brought the Stanley Cup to South Florida for the first time. 

The balance of power in the Sunshine State has shifted to the Panthers.

In 2023, Tampa Bay was knocked out in Round 1 by Toronto, while Florida ascended to the Final.

In 2024, the tide officially turned when the Panthers beat the Lightning with an exclamation point in Round 1.

The rest is history, although the Panthers will now deal with attrition and exhaustion from last year’s very long season.

Key components such as Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson have already been lost.

Time will tell how the past two deep runs into the playoffs will affect them this year.

The rivalry has helped the meteoric growth of hockey in Florida.

The 15,899-person turnout for the preseason Panthers-Lightning game in Orlando last Wednesday night is perfect evidence of how far hockey has come in our fair state.

Tampa Bay’s streak of home sellouts, or near sellouts, goes back a decade.

Florida’s average attendance soared to 18,632 last season.

That number is expected to rise in this one — although, tonight’s preseason game between the two is going head-to-head with the Miami Dolphins playing on Monday Night Football a few miles away, so that will certainly cut into the gate.

But considering Florida averaged a shade over 11,000 per game not too long ago — and was very generous with promotions and freebies — no one will quibble with whatever tonight looks like.

Because it will not look like that for long.

With their playoff run last season, the Panthers topped the million-fan mark in total attendance* for the first time in their history.

The team announced over 15,000 for Saturday’s exhibition against Carolina, and the banner-raising opener next Tuesday night will have Amerant Bank Arena bursting at the seams.

An announced attendance topping 20,000 would not be surprising.

Florida as a hockey hotbed?

Believe it.

(*) — Yes, the Panthers drew over 1 million fans to Sunrise last season. Florida had an announced attendance of 763,931 in 41 regular-season games and then drew another 256,168 (an average of 19,705) during the playoffs. That’s a total of 1,020,099 fans coming to see hockey in Sunrise. Not too shabby.

PANTHERS (PRESEASON) ON DECK

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (1-2) at FLORIDA PANTHERS (3-2)

• When: Monday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/Fort Lauderdale); WHDT 9 (West Palm); LAFF 36.3 (Naples/Fort Myers)
• Streaming: Panthers+; ESPN+
• Radio: None
• 2023-24 Regular Season Series (Panthers Won 2-1) — At Tampa Bay: Panthers 3, Lightning 2 (Dec. 27); Panthers 9, Lightning 2 (Feb. 17). At Florida: Lightning 5, Panthers 3 (March 16).
• All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 77-51-19, 10 ties
• All-Time Postgame Series: Lightning Leads 2-1 (won 2021 first-round, 2022 ECS); Florida d. Lightning 4-1 in 2024 first-round.
• Up Next for the Panthers: Wednesday at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m. (Scripps TV 39/9/36.3; Panthers+, NHL Network)

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KEY DATES FOR THE FLORIDA PANTHERS

• Florida Panthers Preseason: Through Oct. 5
• Florida Panthers Ring Ceremony, Sunrise: Monday, Oct. 7
• Florida Panthers Opening Night/Banner Unveiling: Tuesday, Oct. 8 vs. Bruins (ESPN)