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.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Florida captain Aleksander Barkov needed surgery Friday to repair the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee, injuries that will likely sideline him for the entire regular season and potentially the playoffs as the Panthers try to win a third consecutive Stanley Cup. Barkov got hurt Thursday in his first official practice of training camp. He had surgery Friday and the Panthers said the typical timetable for recovery from such a procedure is 7-9 months.
The Dallas Stars fired coach Pete DeBoer after three consecutive seasons reaching the Western Conference final with no chance at winning the Stanley Cup.
