Opening Game of Eastern Conference First Round Series: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers

Saturday, April 20th, 2024

In the opening round of the NHL Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Florida Panthers are set to compete against the Tampa Bay Lightning, having secured a 2-1 win in their seasonal matchups.

Leading the Atlantic Division, Florida boasts a record of 52-24-6 and a scoring differential of +67. On the other hand, Tampa Bay has a record of 45-29-8 and ranks fifth in the league for the most penalty minutes incurred.

For the Panthers, Sam Reinhart has been a key player, scoring 57 goals and contributing 37 assists, whereas Nikita Kucherov has been instrumental for the Lightning with 44 goals and 100 assists to his name.

In their recent performance over ten games, the Panthers have been scoring an average of 3.3 goals and allowing 2.2 goals against them, while the Lightning have scored an average of 3.8 goals and faced three goals against them.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is currently out for the Panthers, dealing with an upper-body injury, and listed as day-to-day.

The Lightning's injury list includes a few day-to-day statuses as well, with Haydn Fleury suffering from an upper body injury, Tyler Motte dealing with a lower body issue, along with Jonas Johansson and Mikhail Sergachev, who both also have lower body injuries.

Related Links

• Florida Panthers News & Updates
• Florida Panthers Schedule & Scores
• Tampa Bay Lightning News & Updates
• Tampa Bay Lightning Schedule & Scores
• NHL News