Pesky Panthers Will Eliminate Lightning

The peskiness of the Florida Panthers has the Tampa Bay Lightning on the brink of elimination.

Apr 28, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones (3) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-Imagn Images / Rich Storry-Imagn Images

The Florida Panthers are one win away from eliminating the Tampa Bay Lightning and winning the latest Battle of Florida. With a 3-1 advantage, the defending Stanley Cup champions are in control and have the Lightning playing exactly to their preference.

The best term for the 2025 Panthers is pesky. Cambridge Dictionary defines the term as "annoying or causing trouble," and if that isn't the most accurate description of this team, I don't know what is. All this team does is stir up trouble. Sometimes it's well within the bounds of the game, and sometimes it's a bit too far. Either way, they have perfected the art of getting under their opponents' skin.

The Lightning are the latest victims of the Panthers' antics. Florida's physicality has been relentless, and it's wearing Tampa down.

They've also enticed the Lightning into post-whistle shenanigans. Between crushing hits, like the one Matthew Tkachuk delivered on Tampa winger Jake Guentzel, or Aaron Ekblad's forearm shiver on Brandon Hagel that landed him a two-game suspension, the Panthers are antagonizing and goading the Lightning with incredible success.

That peskiness is what will eliminate the Lightning in the opening round. The problem for Tampa is that they aren't built to win that way. When your roster is comprised of elite scorers like Guentzel, Hagel, Nikita Kucherov, and Brayden Point, your offensive system is not built on brute strength. It's built on puck movement, speed, and forcing the defense out of whack.

The Panthers have stood firm. Instead of chasing the Lightning, they wait for them to get close, then sucker punch them in the jaw.

It sounds dramatic, but it's Stanley Cup Playoff hockey. Teams do anything they can to gain the edge. For the defending champions, a consistent dose of peskiness is the key. With it, they can flip the momentum, frustrate their opponents, and eliminate the Lightning.

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