The Florida Derby is just around the corner. But we’re not referring to the horse racing event; we’re referring to Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs featuring the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Amalie Arena is all set to host a showdown between two powerhouse teams, and it’s shaping up to be an intense showdown. For the Panthers, it’s Brad Marchand, Matthew Tkachuk, and Sam Bennett who are expected to bring the heat and explosiveness to the series with their physicality and ability to rile up opponents. And that just might be the key to victory.

The combination of these three in one team may still seem like a fantasy to many fans, though they are yet to watch all 3 on the ice together. But if they do all make it to the lineup for round one, then this trio could give Florida the extra edge by targeting one Lightning player in particular. Who might that be?

During an episode of The Steve Dangle Podcast on YouTube, NHL analyst Steve Dangle pointed to Nikita Kucherov’s temper, which could be easily aggravated by the Panthers. “Kucherov gets both kinds of mad. He gets ‘I’m going to obliterate you and turn into the best player in the world mad.’ And ‘I’m gonna take my ball and go home mad.’ If you can get him to be ‘take my ball and go home mad.’ You win the series. No problem.”

Now there’s no questioning Kucherov’s offensive abilities. He delivered an outstanding performance during the 2024-25 season with the Lightning, clinching his third Art Ross Trophy by topping the league with 121 points (37 goals, 84 assists) across 78 games. Kucherov’s playmaking was vital to the Lightning’s attack, helping them secure a league-leading goals-per-game average and a highly ranked power play.

But at the same time, Kucherov isn’t always one to rein in his emotions. It was just last month when asked about how the Lightning could build upon their 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins that he cut the reporter off with a dismissive hand gesture. “I’m barely talking here, and you’re, like, trying to speak ahead of me. Like, what are you doing? Alright, he’s suspended,” Kucherov said, irritation written across his demeanor.

Then in December 2024, Kucherov faced ejection from a game after a knee-on-knee collision with the Panthers’ Tkachuk, leading to a major penalty and game misconduct. So there’s also some (recent) history here. So it’s obvious that for the Panthers, with all their dark arts, he is the player to target. Dangle emphasized that if either Marchand or Tkachuk can engage in their psychological tactics and get physical with Kucherov, it could make him the wrong kind of mad, giving Florida the advantage.

Either way, this matchup between the two franchises promises to be thrilling. Have you heard the latest remarks from the Panthers’ coach?

Florida Panthers’ coach shared an important team update

Those familiar with the NHL landscape are likely aware that the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning share a fierce rivalry. Amidst the intensity on the ice, Panthers coach Paul Maurice remarked, “I think there’s a really healthy respect.” For many years, these two franchises have been locked in a fierce rivalry, with matches frequently coming down to the wire. However, Maurice did affirm that the two teams hold nothing but respect for one another.

In a recent statement, the Panthers’ coach not only addressed the intense rivalry between the two teams but also provided a significant update about the franchise, declaring, “So there isn’t anybody that I would say that I know is not ready for Game 1,” he said. “That there’s an injury there that’s week to week. We had some guys just overuse injuries. I think in the last two weeks, we had some guys’ minor groins, things like that, and we’ll hold them out of practice tomorrow unless they’re right there. Like, we’re not going to run them hard early in this to set anybody back. But everybody is possible from Game 1.”

For those not in the loop regarding the Panthers, it’s important to note that several of their key players have been facing injury problems, from Tkachuk to Sasha Barkov to Sam Bennett. Not to forget Aaron Ekblad’s 20-game suspension that only makes him available from game 3 onward.

But it’s Tkachuk who’s the biggest question mark of them all. The Panthers forward is sidelined with a groin injury sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February. In early March, the Panthers made the decision to place him on long-term injured reserve, which means he was out for the remainder of the regular season. Tkachuk seems poised to make his much-anticipated comeback at last. Only time will reveal how the Panthers will safeguard their Stanley Cup title.

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