In a rare back-to-back set against their in-state rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning will showcase the NHL’s top offense when they host the rival Florida Panthers on Sunday afternoon.
It will be the first meeting of the season with the Stanley Cup champions before going southeast for Monday’s return match in Sunrise.
The Lightning have four skaters who average over a point a game — and another (Anthony Cirelli, 28 points) who is on pace for a career year — and own an NHL-best 4.00 goals per game.
On a nine-game point streak, Nikita Kucherov leads with 49 points in 28 games (1.75 points per game). Brayden Point (1.46), Brandon Hagel (1.23) and Jake Guentzel (1.10) follow.
Even the fourth line of Michael Eyssimont, Luke Glendening and Zemgus Girgensons contributed a goal when Glendening hit the net to open Tuesday’s 5-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Do they score as much as the Point line? No,” Cooper said of his fourth line. “But guys are pretty pumped on the bench when they do.”
Riding a season-best four-game winning streak, the Lightning are 10-4-1 at home, while Florida is 11-6-1 away.
The Sunshine State duo has flourished over the past half decade, with the past five Stanley Cup Finals having been occupied by one of the clubs — the Lightning from 2020 to 2022, the Panthers in two straight.
Though it is early, a sixth straight finals appearance could be looming as both are firmly planted in the Eastern Conference’s playoff positioning.
They met in the postseason’s first round in April, which the Panthers clinched in five matches to take a first step in their title run.
The Atlantic Division foes returned this week after successful western swings. Florida went 3-2-0, while Tampa Bay was 3-1-0 during the long trips.
Florida was blanked in consecutive matches in Vancouver and Calgary before finishing with two wins, 6-5 against the Edmonton Oilers and 6-1 versus the Minnesota Wild.
Fiery winger Matthew Tkachuk was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week ending Dec. 8 and has totaled 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 29 matches.
But the end of Friday’s return home, a 2-1 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues, belonged to the Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov.
Playing the final 2:28 of the extra session, the captain went one-on-two against St. Louis’ forwards and stripped Dylan Holloway of the puck, beat him with a deke along the boards and fended off Brayden Schenn before forcing Schenn to commit a tripping penalty.
Barkov then capped a two-point night with the game-winning tally with 17 seconds left, handing the champs points in 10 of their past 12 matches (9-2-1) and four straight home victories.
“Great moment from a great player, especially for the week he had,” said Florida coach Paul Maurice, alluding to the Finnish center’s two-game absence from illness. “He was probably on the ice for two minutes before he took on the rest of their team. … We sit and watch that in awe.”
Added defenseman Uvis Balinskis, who scored his first goal Friday: “That’s what he does. He’s unbelievable.”
Aaron Ekblad’s assist on the goal tied him with Stephen Weiss (249) for third in the organization’s history.
Florida has received a boost on the back end from sixth-year player Niko Mikkola, who has a career-high four goals in 34 games.
–Field Level Media
