Lightning's chase for the Stanley Cup begins

TAMPA (FOX 13) - The ice is back inside Amalie Arena and the Bay Area is feeling the electricity. It's playoff hockey time.

The Tampa Bay Lightning will square off with the New Jersey Devils for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, with Game 1 on Thursday night.

This Lightning team comes off the best regular season ever, but their mission is far from over. The NHL playoffs are a grueling season of their own. The chase for a championship truly begins tonight.

The team reached the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals and came within one victory of returning just two years ago. They have since been driven by the disappointment of missing out on a postseason return in 2017. They are well aware of the youthful Devils' speed. They won all three regular-season meetings, but that doesn't guarantee the same successful as the Eastern Conference series begins at 7 p.m.