FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers are back in the playoffs for the sixth year in a row.
And for the second consecutive year, Tampa Bay and the Cats will face off in the first round.
WATCH BELOW: Panthers prep for 1st round battle against Tampa Bay
It will be the third time in four seasons that these two Florida teams will meet in the postseason.
Since Tampa is only about a three-hour drive, Panthers fans won't have too far to travel. Florida has the third seed and will start on the road in Tampa on Tuesday, April 22.
The two teams split the series in the regular season with two wins each. However, the Cats know it's going to be a tough fight if they want to advance to the second round.
"We know them really well. They know us really well," said Panthers center Aleksander Barkov said. "The same state rivalry between us and every year is getting bigger and bigger, so it's good. Good for hockey, good for the state of Florida and obviously exciting."
"I think every year is a new year you're going into the playoffs," said Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling. "We got some confidence. ... It's gonna be a lot of fun, so we're just excited to get started here."
Since 2020, a Florida team has represented the Eastern Conference in the finals. We will see if that streak continues and if the Panthers will be on their way to reclaiming Lord Stanley's Cup.
