Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (71) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) chat while in the tunnel just prior to taking on the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the first round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Thursday, April 24, 2025 in Tampa. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]

But this time there's a twist. In 2021 and 2022, the Lightning were the defending Stanley Cup champion; this time the Panthers are. Each time the two teams have faced each other, the winner of the series has gone on to reach the Stanley Cup Final.

The Panthers out-hit the Lightning by a 48-28 count. They particularly made their presence felt in the first period when they were credited with 19 hits to only nine for the Lightning. If Jon Cooper is concerned about what the Panthers did to his team physically, he’s not letting on.