Ahead of the final minutes at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday night, Florida Panthers supporters — dressed in red jerseys and waving illuminated rally towels — began bidding farewell to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tampa Bay’s season came to a close with a 6-1 defeat against Florida in the NHL playoffs’ opening round. This victory marks the Panthers’ first playoff series win against their in-state rivals after three previous unsuccessful attempts.
The Panthers secured victory in four out of five games in the series, thanks to exceptional penalty-killing efforts and standout performances from goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and other key players.
They now await the outcome of the series between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs to determine their next opponent in the second round. The Bruins currently lead the series 3-1, with Game 5 scheduled in Boston on Tuesday.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice expressed his satisfaction, particularly for players like Aleksander Barkov and Sergei Bobrovsky, who had previously experienced playoff disappointments. Barkov scored both of his goals in Game 5, while Bobrovsky showcased a .896 save percentage.
Carter Verhaeghe’s five goals also played a pivotal role, as they aim to lead the Panthers forward in the upcoming rounds.
“Every series is different, and this team of players is special and puts in a lot of effort,” Bobrovsky stated. “We have a strong structure, and everyone worked hard to execute it. We’re close.”
Despite what many Panthers players described as a challenging and emotional series in Round 1, they believe they have what it takes to maintain their performance.
“We’ll likely be facing our next biggest rival, so there won’t be any emotional letdown,” Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk explained. “Whoever we play, it’s going to be another intense and enjoyable series.”
Last year, the Panthers rallied from a 3-1 series deficit against the Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, winning 4-3 in overtime of Game 7. This victory eliminated a dominant Bruins team that had set a regular-season record with 63 wins. Florida then defeated the Maple Leafs in five games in the following round.
In the regular season, Florida didn’t win against the Bruins, with a record of 0-2-2, and three of those losses were by just one goal. Barkov and Sam Reinhard each contributed two goals and two assists in those games, while Tkachuk had a goal and an assist.
Against the Maple Leafs in the regular season, the Panthers split the series, with Reinhard scoring four goals and providing an assist.
