Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers rivalry has taken a step back

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
January 25, 2017

SUNRISE, Fla. – After the success of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers last year, the Sunshine State appeared on the verge of a frozen takeover.

Both teams made the playoffs in the same season for just the second time since both franchises have been in the league. A second round meeting was derailed when the New York Islanders bounced the Panthers in the first round that would have heated up the in-state rivalry to a new level.

That led to heightened expectations for both franchises entering this season. And when each team started the year 2-0 heading in to their first meeting back in October, it looked like the rivalry would continue to build.

Oh how things have changed since then.

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As the two teams meet in the final game before the All-Star break on Thursday (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Sun, 970-AM and tblpowerplay.com, both sit outside the playoff picture and desperate to stay above water and stay in contention down the stretch.

Since Tampa Bay rallied to beat the Panthers in a shootout thanks to a last-second goal from Steven Stamkos, the Lightning season has gone downhill.

Steven Stamkos was lost to a knee injury in November and is not expected to be back until March, at the earliest. In his absence, Tampa Bay has struggled to win games and as recently as this week occupied the basement in the Eastern Conference standings.

Only a third-period rally against Chicago pulled Tampa Bay out of the cellar.

Now the Lightning hope to finish off a six-game road trip on a high note and push down their in-state rivals in the process.

”We feel like we could have gotten points out of every one of these (games on the trip),’’ Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “We’ve been outstanding in our own end. These guys have been at it. They keep fighting, and if we can sneak one out in Florida, it’s a pretty darn good road trip for us.’’

The trip needs to end that way if Tampa Bay has hopes of climbing back up the standings.

The Panthers, meanwhile, have a completely different look from that earlier meeting between the teams as head coach Gerard Gallant was fired and general manager Tom Rowe has taken over behind the bench. Florida has also been hit by injuries with the loss of top centers Sasha Barkov and Nick Bjugstad to long-term injuries, though Bjugstad is expected to make his return on Thursday against Florida.

”It’s going to help us size-wise and he was really moving well out there,’’ Rowe told the Florida press after practice on Thursday. “We had a pretty good pace going out there, some contact and he looked like he’s been playing the past ten games, so that’s going to definitely help us. It’s just going to be timing on his part but htat first game back you are usually going on adrenaline so I expect him to be going really good.’’

But the Panthers have endured some recent scuffling as well, returning home on the heels of an 0-2-2 road trip, which ended with an overtime loss to Arizona on Monday.

So two teams that expected to compete for a division title this season, now square off hoping just to keep playoff hopes alive.

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