The first 13 games of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs are in the books -- thanks for finally joining the party, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning-- so each team has had a chance to show the new postseason version of itself.

But this time there's a twist. In 2021 and 2022, the Lightning were the defending Stanley Cup champion; this time the Panthers are. Each time the two teams have faced each other, the winner of the series has gone on to reach the Stanley Cup Final.

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.