Rematch: Panthers, Lightning Set To Meet Again In Playoffs

SUNRISE (AP) — The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions on one side. The Presidents’ Trophy winners on the other. Franchises separated by just a couple hundred miles of highway. And two teams that don’t like each other very much.

Tampa Bay and Florida. For the state championship — and so much more.

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The Lightning and the Panthers are meeting in the playoffs for the second consecutive season, with Game 1 starting Tuesday on Florida’s home ice. Tampa Bay needed six games to oust the Panthers a year ago in Round 1.

“Florida is a hell of a team,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “We’ve watched them all year. We’ve had some amazing battles with them. I think people, especially in…