The Florida Panthers are playing the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the NHL 2024-25 season. If they beat their in-state rivals out of contention during the Sunshine State Showdown, when would the Panthers start their second round series?
Florida and Tampa Bay meet for the fourth time in franchises history in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with the winner reaching the Stanley Cup Final in each season so far. It’s certainly a positive trend to carry onto the second round.
Moreover, the Panthers will look to copy the Lightning’s success, who had reached three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals in the 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22 NHL seasons. The Cats are in the hunt for their third consecutive final, hoping to secure back-to-back championships.
The road won’t be easy, whatsoever. Even if they beat the Lightning, the Panthers will take on a tough divisional opponent up next, though they have yet to discover their upcoming matchup.
Who will the winner of Panthers-Lightning play in the second round?
If they move on to the second round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Panthers would face the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Ottawa Senators. Toronto is currently leading their series by a score of 3-2, looking to close it out in Game 6 at Canadian Tire Centre.
However, Toronto had a 3-0 lead and has lost consecutive games, extending their concerning skid to a terrible 2-14 record in seres-clinching playoff games since 2004.
When will the second round be played?
Though the NHL has yet to announce the schedule for the second round, the second-round series is expected to begin sometime between May 3 and May 7. The exact date will depend on how long the series lasts.