The Tampa Bay Lightning again have to start a season looking east across the state at the Florida Panthers, watching the sun rise and shine over their biggest rival, fixated on what they used to be, setting their sights on what they believe they can be again.

“I think we kind of look at each other in the eyes,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper told NHL.com. “I mean, let’s face it, we’re the two teams that have gone to six straight Stanley Cup Finals.”

Florida has reached the past three, eliminating Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference First Round the past two seasons on its way to winning back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.

But before the Panthers ran the East, it was the Lightning in charge, reaching the Final three straight seasons. They won the Cup in 2020 and 2021 before losing to the Colorado Avalanche in 2022.

“I think there was a time when Florida probably got sick and tired of us getting the best of them, and now I think we’re getting to the point where we’re sick and tired of Florida getting the best of us,” Cooper said. “It just so happens that we live right across the state from each other, and it’s become one heck of a rivalry for the League.”

Cooper’s belief in his team hasn’t wavered despite the Panthers needing only five games to eliminate them in each of the past two seasons.

“The problem is, and I can be the first to tell you this, you need to stay healthy and you need to be lucky,” Cooper said. “I can sit here and say those things happened to us when we won, and sometimes you don’t have those breaks.”

The Lightning didn’t last season. They were not at full strength at a time when the Panthers were getting healthy. Tampa Bay had to play the entire series without forward Oliver Bjorkstrand, who sustained a left-thigh injury four games before the Stanley Cup Playoffs began.

Forward Yanni Gourde broke his finger in Game 1, reducing his impact (one assist in five games). Forward Brandon Hagel was limited to playing eight periods in the series, missing two games. Defenseman Victor Hedman broke his foot in Game 4 and played through it. Center Anthony Cirelli played with a Grade 2 MCL sprain. Forward Nikita Kucherov had a left-hand injury.

“We just couldn’t put our best foot forward,” Cooper said. “… But for us, I still believe this team has all the makings. I hate that a year went by and we didn’t get it done, but there’s a reason we kept this team together — because we have a ton of belief in it.”

To Cooper’s point, the Lightning return almost intact from last season, still led by Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, Erik Cernak and J.J. Moser at defenseman; Kucherov, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, Hagel, Cirelli, Gourde, Nick Paul and Bjorkstrand at forward; and Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal.

Forward Conor Geekie is expected to play a bigger role after splitting time last season between Tampa Bay and Syracuse of the American Hockey League. Forward Jack Finley and defenseman Max Crozier should graduate from Syracuse to be full-time NHL players.

Cooper is entering his 14th season; Julien BriseBois will be at the helm for his eighth as general manager.

The Lightning are returning most of a team that finished tied for seventh in the NHL in points (102), was first in goals per game (3.56), averaged the fourth-fewest goals against (2.63), was fifth on the power play (25.9 percent) and ranked sixth on the penalty kill (81.6 percent).

They had two players with 40 or more goals, four with at least 35 and six with at least 20.

Kucherov won his second straight Art Ross Trophy with an NHL-leading 121 points (37 goals, 84 assists). He was third in the Hart Trophy voting for League MVP.

Vasilevskiy was the runner-up for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie. Cirelli was third in voting for the Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward. Hedman was fifth for the Norris Trophy as the top defenseman.

Kucherov was named to the NHL First All-Star Team. Hagel, Hedman and Vasilevskiy were three of the six players on the second team.

“I love our team,” Cooper said.

There were some changes under Cooper and BriseBois, with Dan Hinote replacing Jeff Blashill (now coach of the Chicago Blackhawks) as assistant coach and Jeff Tambellini replacing Mathieu Darche (now GM of the New York Islanders) as assistant GM.

But the Lightning have once again maintained consistency in their direction, their core, their systems and their goals, starting with the simplest, which has nothing to do with the Panthers.

“Don’t take the regular season for granted,” Cooper said. “There is an expectation for us to make the playoffs. In my tenure, we’ve missed [twice]. Every year you go in thinking, ‘Don’t take this for granted.’ If we want a shot at the title, we have to get to the dance.”