Rise of Panthers, end of Lightning: 10 first-round NHL playoffs observations

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TAMPA, Fla. — The Florida Panthers made stunningly short work of the Tampa Bay Lightning for a second straight season. It’s the Panthers’ state and their league.

Here are 10 observations on a surprisingly one-sided first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.

1. This is almost certainly the end of the road for the Lightning as Stanley Cup contenders.

Sure, coach Jon Cooper’s team still has Hall of Fame talent at three different levels. But great talent alone doesn’t win championships. The Lightning’s lack of depth is very noticeable, as is their mediocre defensive work.

Truly great teams get a certain look about them at the end of their run. The great Detroit Red Wings from 15 years ago finally faded. So, too, did the Pittsburgh Penguins, which are probably the most notable comparison to the Lightning. Having great offensive players goes a long way and sells tickets. But when the depth evaporates, so do the playoff wins.

Tampa Bay should still be a playoff team next spring, and we can’t ignore what a fine regular season Cooper’s team had. But the juice that championship teams have — that the Lightning had for years — is gone. You know it when you see it.

2. Nikita Kucherov is a great player. More than anything, he’s an artist. There’s no one quite like him, and I’m not here to put him down.

But that was a terrible performance for an all-time great player. Kucherov was stunningly bad all series. He had four points in five games, which doesn’t sound terrible, but if you watched him play, you know.

Kucherov had only seven shots on goal in five games. He avoided the battle areas quite a bit. When the Panthers hit him — and they did often — he didn’t like it. He threw fits on the ice and the bench. He let the Panthers get to him early and often.

In Game 5, he was terrible. Two of his misplays directly led to Florida goals. He continually forced passes into lanes that weren’t there.

People in Tampa will tell you that Kucherov has a chip on his shoulder because he’s won the Hart Trophy only once and because his mocking of the NHL All-Star weekend a couple of years ago earned him plenty of bad publicity.

He didn’t do himself any favors with this performance. That’s now 15 postseason games without a goal for Kucherov. His point totals tell you he’s one of the best — if not the best — players in the game right now. As great as he is, other players in the NHL are operating on a higher level. They wouldn’t have been this bad in this series.

3. The Panthers are the favorite to win the Cup again.

How could we disagree?

The Panthers are the rare team that flips the switch. I admit, I picked Tampa Bay to win this series. The Lightning looked great most of the season, while the Panthers looked out of gas.

Boy, was I wrong. They weren’t out of gas. They were saving their energy. And now, they get close to a week off.

The Panthers are a machine and the closest thing the NHL has to the early-1980s New York Islanders. Much like those Islanders, the Panthers will bully you, outskill you, outcoach you and outgoalie you all in the same night. This is a very special team.

4. You know what the biggest concern for the Panthers might be?

Matthew Tkachuk. Really.

Yes, he scored three goals in this series and put up a point per game. Typical Tkachuk numbers, and his Game 1 performance was theater at its best.

But he’s not himself. His skating doesn’t look right to me.

Maybe it’s just rust. That would be understandable. But I still wonder just how healthy he is.

5. Because we talk so much about Florida’s big names, certain players go under the radar.

One great player who fits the bill: defenseman Niko Mikkola.

He won’t give you a ton of offense, but he’s just a perfect player for their system. He’s big and nasty. He’s an outstanding defender. What team wouldn’t love to have him?

The more I watch Florida play, the more I appreciate what a fine player he is.

6. I’ve been watching Jake Guentzel for a decade, so I know full well what he brings.

Of Tampa Bay’s big names, he was the one who didn’t disappoint in this series.

Guentzel put up three goals and six points in five games for the Lightning. He was everything they could have asked for and more in his first season in Tampa. You can always count on him to show up when the games get bigger.

7. Anton Lundell is on the verge of becoming a star. What a two-way center he is, and I’ll remind you that he’s only 23.

He produced five points in the final two games of this series. Panthers coach Paul Maurice often speaks of him, his potential and how impressive he thinks the center is.

It’s easy to see why. He’s about to become a force in this league.

8. The Panthers are in the Lightning’s heads. It’s perfectly obvious.

Tampa Bay’s body language after Game 4 essentially said this team is better than us, and we know it, because we know what great teams look like.

I’m not sure what the Lightning can do to overcome the Panthers in the next couple of years. Tough spot. They’ve been proud champions and are among the best teams of their generation. But they’ve been surpassed. The worst part is that they know it.

9. Brad Marchand can still play. No, he’s not quite what he was a few years back, but don’t be fooled. Just because he’s playing a supporting role for the Panthers doesn’t mean he won’t have a huge moment at some point this spring. I assure you, he will.

10. South Florida’s affection for its Panthers is real, and it’s nice to see.

I’ve covered many games in that building over the years, and the atmosphere used to be dismal. And the crowd used to primarily consist of visiting fans.

Those days are gone.

South Florida is rabid for the Panthers, and why not? Dynasties don’t happen in the modern-day NHL. But if a team were ever capable of becoming one, it’s the Panthers.

They’re still fairly young. They’ve got the best coach in hockey. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has finally figured out the postseason, and then some.

The Panthers are positioned to be great for a long time. I predict they’ll win back-to-back championships. After watching them for five games against the Lightning, I have a hard time thinking there’s an NHL team ready to knock off the champs. They’re special.

(Photo of Anton Lundell and Nate Schmidt: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)

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