But for most of the two teams' existence, the rivalry was purely geographical, with the hockey world largely focusing on other feuds or thriving franchises. Despite achieving far less success in the 23 years after they made the Cup Final in 1996, the Panthers won the lion's share of games against the Lightning. In that same 23-year span, the Cats had a sub-.500 record against the Lightning in only seven seasons, and the club's all-time record against their in-state rival is 79-54-29.
If you take away a little bit of a disastrous start - we won one of our first seven - I've really liked the way we've played. Every team gets injuries. For us personally, going back to 2017, I don't remember - even through our Cup runs and all of that - has this happened to us. There is a lot of money sitting in the stands, but it is encouraging to see the young guys who have come in and filled the gaps for us.
If history is anything to go by, Brandon Hagel was never meant to be anything in the NHL, a fringe third line player at most, just like every other sixth round pick in the NHL, but what he has achieved is leaps and bounds better than what he should've in the NHL. Ever since joining Tampa Bay, his game has reached new levels.
One of the struggles has been the play of the team;s defense. The defense has allowed 30.2 shots against per game, one of the worst in the league. They have allowed 22 goals in seven games and that is the worst in the Eastern Conference. The Lightning defense has been tighter than this in the past and seems to be struggling by leaving opposing players open and leaving rebounds.
Young star Connor Geekie is entering his second season with the Lightning but this season he is hopeful to break through. Th 6-foot-4 and 212-pound center played 52 games with the Lightning last season, producing eight goals and six assists for 14 points, along with one power play goal, three game-winning goals, and 97 hits. The 11th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Arizona Coyotes, he is developing into a solid player who could make an impact this season.
