The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are poised to face off in the opening round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, reigniting a fierce in-state rivalry. The Panthers, who are the reigning Stanley Cup champions, wrapped up the regular season with a record of 47-31-4, earning them a third-place finish in the Atlantic Division. The Lightning are still in the thick of their season, with their last regular-season game looming against the New York Rangers.

This specific matchup between two teams hailing from the same state is monumental. Once again, we find ourselves witnessing the Florida Derby in the NHL! And for Panthers’ fans, there is another huge update to look forward to.

In discussing the rivalry, coach Paul Maurice remarked, “I think there’s a really healthy respect.” For numerous years, these two franchises have engaged in a fierce rivalry, and matches more than often go down to the wire. However, Maurice didn’t only discuss the rivalry between the two teams. Speaking about the first game, he said, ‘Everybody is possible for Game 1.’ For those who support the Panthers, this is a huge update!

Fans have eagerly awaited the return of Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers forward is out of action due to a groin injury he picked up during the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February. In early March, the Panthers officially placed him on long-term injured reserve, effectively sidelining him for the rest of the regular season. It appears that Tkachuk is finally ready to make his long-awaited return.

Tkachuk enjoyed a successful 2024-25 season with the Florida Panthers, tallying 22 goals and 35 assists, amassing a total of 57 points in 52 games. Only time will tell if he can maintain this level of performance heading into the postseason, especially as he makes his return from the injury he sustained. However, nobody is doubting how important he is to the Panthers, and how crucial he can prove in the business end of the season. Not least this former NHL player, who had some choice words for the 27-year-old forward.

Matthew Tkachuk is crucial to the Florida Panthers

On the Empty Netters podcast, David Backes expressed, “The Tkachuk factor is so terrifying to me. The defensive changes, you know, say what you will, I think a lot of very intelligent Florida Panthers fans, when you saw some of the turnover on D, were like, ‘It’s not that big of a deal; we did some good job replacing it’.”

The former NHL star clearly expresses skepticism regarding the confidence that fans have in the Panthers’ defensive lineup. He emphasizes the vital role that Matthew Tkachuk plays for the team, attributing it to his fierce aggression on the ice. Additionally, he remarked,

“I think I think they’re a little bit worse. I think the D core is a little bit worse. I think Florida is too–call it hurt also–but they are too tired to win the cup again. But they’re not too tired to win a round. Like, I think they will run out of steam if they keep winning, but not in the first round.”

According to Backes, the Panthers’ defense has declined in comparison to the squad that clinched last year’s Stanley Cup. He anticipates their survival in the initial playoff round, and for that, the team will undoubtedly require a player like Tkachuk to execute those aggressive maneuvers.