"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."
"But this truly became the "Battle" when both teams became great, and that has been in the past six seasons. The pair met in the playoffs for the first time in 2021, which is the perfect start of this era -- Tampa Bay was coming off a Stanley Cup win in 2020 (in the bubble) and dispatched Florida in six games en route to their second straight Cup."
Two Florida franchises founded in 1992 and 1993 developed a rivalry that shifted from geographic proximity to intense, high-stakes competition. The Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Final in their third season, but statewide prominence grew after the Lightning's 2004 championship. For decades the Panthers held the head-to-head edge, compiling an all-time record of 79-54-29 and only seven sub-.500 seasons across a 23-year span. The rivalry intensified over the last six seasons with playoff meetings beginning in 2021, Tampa Bay's early postseason success, and Florida's recent string of Final appearances and series wins. On-ice confrontations have grown violent, including preseason melees.
Read at ESPN.com
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