“We know it’s going to be a war”. A perfect mindset to have as you go into the Battle of Florida. Especially if it’s the playoffs. Seems like everyone in the Panthers camp got the memo from center Anton Lundell. The defending Stanley Cup champs certainly looked the part on Wednesday, taking apart their arch-rivals Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 in their 1st playoff game, that too on enemy territory.

But it’s just one game, though. The team that wants to progress has to win 4 games in the best-of-7 series. Which means the Florida Panthers still have work to do. And there’s a lot to play for. But no doubt the 6-2 result has set up the 2nd game perfectly. You will not want to miss this one to see whether the Lightning can stage a comeback or if the Panthers are just that dominant. And in case you don’t know the where and how of the game, don’t worry. That’s exactly what we’re here for.

Well, the game is scheduled for Thursday, April 24, 6:30 pm ET. And it will all go down at the Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida. As a reminder, the Lightning have home ice advantage, courtesy of them finishing 2nd in the Atlantic Division and the Panthers finishing 3rd.

The Bolts now almost have to win this one to maintain their advantage. Because after the game, we’re heading to the Amerant Bank Arena for the next two. And even though we’re not speculating, the Florida Panthers would be in prime position to sweep the series right from under the feet of Tampa Bay if they aren’t careful. So, expect a response. And be ready for a blockbuster of a game full of last-ditch penalty kills, full-throttle hits, and a no-nonsense 60 minutes of ice hockey.

And if you’re not going to be in the Amalie Arena for the game, definitely make sure to tune into the ESPN channel on Thursday, 6:30 pm ET. ESPN is covering the other games of the Panthers-Lightning playoff series, and although it hasn’t been confirmed yet officially, we can expect them to broadcast this game too. And count on ESPN to match the thrilling anticipation with its broadcast, coupled with a play-by-play breakdown, in-game commentary, and detailed analysis. Besides this, you can also catch the game on the following networks: TBS, truTV, MAX, FDSNSUN, SCRIPPS, TVAS2, SN360. So, make sure you have at least one of these on your cable subscription.

Other than that, you can also take the internet route to watch the game. Fubo will livestream the game through its ESPN channel, and all you need to do is get yourself a subscription or even start a free trial period for 1 month to get Fubo access. DirecTV Stream is also offering the same plan as Fubo. So, in case you are a DirecTV Stream user, go check out how you can activate the required services.

No matter what, you do not want to miss this game. It looks too tight to call. And it’s got a lot riding on it. But don’t take our words for it. Both camps are singing the same tune.

After the first game loss, Tampa Bay will try to draw level with the Florida Panthers

Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh knows their start hasn’t been great. But he knows a lot is left to play for, and they change everything in the next game. Speaking to NHL.com after the Wednesday game, he said, “We know we can be better, and we’ve got another level, and we’ll find a way to get to that.” Coach Jon Cooper addressed the elephant in the room straight away: “In the end we gave up six goals. We’re a pretty decent defensive team and we’re good on the PK, and we gave up three on that.”

However, he is already looking at his team’s Thursday response: “We’ll turn the page and move on.” There’s a reason the Battle of Florida is legendary. Either one of the teams has been in the Stanley Cup finals for the last 5 seasons. Both camps have big players like Nikita Kucherov, Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk. And Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky knows it: “They’re a good team, too, they’ve got a really good offense. It’s going to be competitive.” Obviously, he had to play his part in the 6-2 win, making 20 saves.

But game 1 is history, and he shares the same sentiment as his coach, Paul Maurice. The next game is what matters. “I’m not a huge believer in momentum, I’m really not. The puck drops and that’s your opportunity to change momentum,” said the 58-year-old Panthers coach. And then there’s the Matthew Tkachuk factor.

Yes, Matthew Tkachuk’s return couldn’t have been written better. 2 goals and 1 assist on his return after missing 25 games. And such a clinical performance against the archrivals. But he will be called into action again come Thursday. Because, when the Tampa Bay Lightning come out all guns blazing, he will be the one who has to fire up the Panthers dressing room, to get that extra something.

All in all, it’s set up perfectly. Can the Tampa Bay Lightning respond? Or will the Florida Panthers take a big 2-0 lead? We’ll find out soon enough!