With a raucous crowd and optimism abound, the Tampa Bay Lightning finally opened their Eastern Conference first-round series with the rival Florida Panthers on Tuesday night, only to drop a deflating 6-2 decision to the defending Stanley Cup champions.

The Florida Panthers visit the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series.

After missing the last two months of the regular season with a lower-body injury, Tkachuk opened the 2025 postseason with a dominant two-goal performance.