But this time there's a twist. In 2021 and 2022, the Lightning were the defending Stanley Cup champion; this time the Panthers are. Each time the two teams have faced each other, the winner of the series has gone on to reach the Stanley Cup Final.

The Tampa Bay Lightning will face their in-state rival, the Florida Panthers, on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series. This marks the fourth time in the last five years that the "Battle of Florida" will be decided in the postseason.