Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos will be in the starting lineup for the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of their first round playoff series against the Florida Panthers, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said Saturday.

The Lightning and Panthers kick off their playoff series Sunday night.

Kucherov missed the entire regular season after undergoing off-season hip surgery. The team knew he would miss the regular season and hoped he would be back for the post-season.

Stamkos returned to practice earlier this month after sustaining a lower-body injury in early April. Stamkos has 17 goals and 17 assists in 38 games for the Lightning this season.