Panthers coach Andrew Brunette watched Game 7 between the Lightning and Maple Leafs on Saturday night, trying to pick up anything he could about his team’s next opponent in the second round of the playoffs.
And what stood out to Brunette about Tampa Bay’s third-period of a 2-1 victory is something he noticed a lot in their two Stanley Cup runs.
“They know how to win,” Brunette said. “They’re the Stanley Cup winners for a reason.”
The Panthers are the Presidents’ Trophy winners and top seed, but Brunette said the Lightning are where they want to be, so this will be a fascinating series, which begins Tuesday night in Sunrise. If last year’s first-round matchup was any indication, it’s going to be intense, physical and fast-paced. And it should be close, potentially another long one.
When Tampa Bay won last year in six games, it was pretty even at five-on-five, with the Panthers holding a 54.67 Corsi-For percentage and an edge in expected goals (11.91-10.33). The Lightning had the edge partly due to their power play, goaltending (the Panthers played three goaltenders in the six games) and, well, the championship pedigree.
So who has the edge this year? To break down the Panthers-Lightning series, The Athletic chatted with former Tampa Bay winger Ryan Callahan (now an ESPN analyst), TNT analyst Rick Tocchet, NHL Network analyst Mike Rupp and Panthers play-by-play broadcaster Steve Goldstein.