Apr 30, 2025 - News

The Lightning are facing elimination — and we're talking trash

Jeff Weiner

Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers and Mitchell Chaffee of the Tampa Bay Lightning battle for the puck in the third period of Game Four of the First Round of the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 28. — The Panthers and Lightning have been scrapping all series. Photo: Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

The Lightning will be in a fight for their playoff lives as they take on the Florida Panthers tonight at Amalie.

Why it matters: Tampa Bay is down 3-1 in the first-to-four series. A loss would end their season — and cement the Lightning's defending-champion in-state rivals as Florida's hockey powerhouse.

Driving the beef: Our friends in South Florida are enjoying this all a bit too much, so we thought we'd send a little trash talk their way.

Oh, you're the "Florida" Panthers? You play in Sunrise — own it.
Not even the Stanley Cup could store all the Heat fan tears being shed this week.
Good luck basking in your hockey glory the next time you're parked on I-95.

On the flip side: Our colleagues at Axios Miami had their own trash to talk about us. Click here for their best zingers.

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The Lightning are facing elimination — and we're talking trash

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