Sam Bennett’s “Hate” Confession Fuels Florida vs Tampa Bay Rivalry for Stanley Cup Playoffs

In the heart of the Sunshine State, where hockey passions burn as hot as the summer sun, Sam Bennett’s candid admission of “hate” for the Tampa Bay Lightning has fueled the fire that is the intra-state rivalry. The Florida Panthers will walk into Game 3 the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a commanding 2-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning, in their best-of-7 opening-round series, setting the stage for a heated showdown as the series shifts to Sunrise.

Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett, during the post-match interview, was quick to address that the already developed rivalry between the two teams fuels the hate even more. He said, “Yeah, I mean, I don’t think we expected anything less. You know, two teams that play each other a lot in the playoffs. That rivalry is just growing and growing, you know. We just hate them more and more every time we play them, so it makes for good hockey.” The Panthers opened the series with a dominant 6-2 victory on Tuesday, showcasing their offensive firepower and physical edge.

Game 2, played on Thursday at Amalie Arena, was a masterclass in defensive discipline, as Florida blanked Tampa Bay 2-0, stifling the Lightning’s vaunted power play. The Panthers killed off all five of Tampa Bay’s power-play opportunities, a critical factor in their early series dominance. “The Lightning have suffered a power outage,” wrote Florida Hockey Now as Tampa Bay’s usually potent special teams failed to spark against Florida’s relentless penalty kill.

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