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Lightning Secure Home-Ice Advantage, Set for Playoff Clash with Panthers

Tampa Bay closes the regular season with a decisive win over Florida as both teams prepare for a heated first-round playoff series starting this weekend.

Overview

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Florida Panthers 5-1 in their regular-season home finale, solidifying their playoff momentum.
  • Nikita Kucherov reached a significant milestone, securing his second consecutive Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's top scorer with 120 points this season.
  • The Lightning clinched home-ice advantage for the first-round playoff series after the Panthers lost their final home game to the Rangers earlier this week.
  • Florida rested key players, including Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart, in preparation for their Stanley Cup title defense, which begins against Tampa Bay.
  • This marks the fourth postseason meeting in five years between the in-state rivals, with both teams considered strong contenders for the Stanley Cup.