Game 1 Time for Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning Announced

The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning will face off in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs for the third time in four years starting this weekend.

Although the remainder of the schedule has not been released, the NHL announced today that Game 1 of the series will be Sunday at 12:30 p.m. in Sunrise.

The game will be televised on Bally Sports Florida and on ESPN.

Florida clinched the Atlantic Division and a date with the Lightning after beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Tuesday night.

With the Boston Bruins losing to the Ottawa Senators, Florida had a chance to win the division and did so.

Florida would have played Toronto for the second straight season in the playoffs had it finished second in the division.

Instead, the Panthers get Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay has won the past two postseason series against the Panthers.

“It’s always fireworks when we play these guys, always a good game,’’ said Carter Verhaeghe, who won the Cup with the Lightning in 2020 before signing with the Panthers.

“They’re an awesome team and really skilled. They have all the elements of a really good team.”