Lightning's Hedman says Panthers are 'legit'

Aaron Ekblad and the Atlantic Division-leading Panthers have won three of the four meetings against the Lightning this season. THE ASSOCIATED PRESSSUNRISE — When mentioning hockey and the state of Florida in the same breath, most of the focus centers on the Lightning.

Tampa Bay has been a success story on and off the ice the past few seasons. The Lightning have a Stanley Cup title to the franchise’s credit and are coming off a conference championship.

But Tampa Bay’s neighbor to the south appears set to move into the high-rent district.

For years, the Florida Panthers have been an afterthought in NHL circles. The franchise sitting the furthest south of any in the league was always viewed as…