For the second straight year, the Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning will cross paths in the first round of the postseason, and knowing the intense rivalry between the two in-state NHL giants, fans can’t wait to see how the drama unfolds. But, like always, there’s a catch!

The battle for Florida is about to commence! The rivalry between the Panthers and the Lightning goes back decades, ever since both received their own NHL franchises in the early 90s. However, with the National Hockey League dropping the schedule for the Cats’ upcoming seven games, fans don’t look too pleased with how things are being handled.

On April 18, the Cats’ first-round playoff schedule was shared on the Subreddit r/FloridaPanthers. As per the update, Game 1 of the series will be held on Tuesday, April 22, at the Amalie Arena, the home of the Lightning. Florida will host three of the seven games, while their arch-rivals will have the home ice advantage in the other four.

This, in fact, will be the third time in the last four seasons that the two teams will meet each other in the playoffs, with the winner on each occasion managing to reach the Stanley Cup finals. And now, with the intrastate rivals skating into the postseason with a 2-2 regular season record against each other, the excitement is all too palpable.

On top of that, there’s the whole anticipation surrounding the antics that Brad Marchand may pull alongside his equally feisty teammates in Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk. The Canadian “Little Ball of Hate” has already noted his feelings about being part of the Cats’ locker room, and will be raring to take the ice for the series that seems to be tailor-made for him.

The first time these two Eastern Conference Goliaths met was in the 1993 regular season. Then, the folks over at Tampa Bay weren’t exactly amused by how the Panthers had put their claim on the entire state. To make their feelings known, the ThunderDome even referred to their in-state rivals as “Miami”. A host of other slurs flew from both camps and at each other before things got more civil. Naturally, it’s not too hard to comprehend that this is a rivalry that goes beyond the ice for their respective fans. And looking at the schedule, fans are furious that the NHL isn’t paying the Florida vs. Tampa Bay matchup the respect it deserves.

Fans aren’t onboard with Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning schedule

“It kinda sucks we have to wait almost a full week,” one fan grumbled. Remembering that the Panthers finished their regular season on Tuesday, that too with a disappointing 5-1 loss to Tampa Bay, it’s only normal that the Florida clan is itching to settle the score. However, the long break also means a lot of time to rest up before the uphill climb, and fan noted the relief too: “but it’s best to rest up.” Rest has been one of the top priorities for Coach Maurice, who might also sneak in a grin after looking at the Round 1 schedule.

“You want to take advantage of the rest days you get and do some rehab and stuff to recover your body,” the Florida Panthers’ defenseman Gustav Forsling also highlighted why this schedule could be beneficial. However, some fans capitalized on the occasion to take digs at Matthew Tkachuk. The American forward has been off the ice since the upper-body injury he incurred at the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year, and fans have been coming up with their theories ever since. “NHL be like, “Matthew our darling boy, tell us when you’ll be ready and we’ll schedule you a series…..”,” one fan said with squinted eyes.

“Wow. Pushing it until Tuesday? And 8:30pm for two teams in the Eastern time zone,” another fan seemed to struggle with how the playoff comes after a week-long break for the Panthers. With 98 points (47-31-4), the Florida team has been fairly impressive this season. However, Tampa Bay finished the year just one spot ahead, and naturally, the fans can’t wait to see how the regular-season rivalry spills onto the playoffs. “6:30 on a Thursday is dog s**t lol. Gotta leave work at 4 to get there,” laughed another, pointing out how it’s going to be difficult to attend the mid-week games for anyone who wants to earn a living.

Some fans were more eager to take the opportunity to take a potshot at the NHL commissioner. “Horrible scheduling like always, Bettman,” reads one fan’s comment, who thinks the folks higher up should take more care about understanding the fans’ emotions. What are your thoughts after seeing the Florida Panthers’ Round 1 schedule? Tell us in a comment!