“We are not worthy. Oh my goodness. Mr. Tkachuk, we are not worthy,” exclaimed Charles Barkley after witnessing Matthew Tkachuk score the series-winning goal with just 4.3 seconds on the clock, completing a sweep over the Carolina Hurricanes and propelling the Florida Panthers to the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals. But in the final, it was the Vegas Golden Knights who skated off with the cup, 4 wins to 1, and even Tkachuk wasn’t enough to drag the Panthers over the line this time.

However, the narrative shifted in the 2023-24 season, as the Panthers finally won the Stanley Cup by overcoming the Edmonton Oilers in a thrilling Game 7. Once again, this year the Panthers look like a strong Cup contender, and on Bleacher Report’s YouTube channel, the Round Mound of Rebound has yet again weighed in with his postseason analyses. And this time, he’s predicted an unfavorable outcome for Tkachuk and co.

With a deep breath, the NBA icon remarked, “Man, I can’t,” when it was time to choose between the Panthers and the Lightning. Even though they’re the defending champions, Barkley raised a pertinent question, asking, “Yeah, but is [Matthew] Tkachuk playing is the question And they got [Brad] Marchand at the trade deadline, too.” But when it came down to actually choosing a winner? He picked the Lightning, with Andrei Vasilevskiy being his difference maker. “You know what? I’m going with the hot goalie. My man, [Andrei] Vasilevskiy. I’m going with him.”

This isn’t the first time Barkley has demonstrated an interest in hockey and has connections to the sport. It is worth mentioning that he shares a friendship with Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, indicating a potential familiarity with key players on the team, such as Vasilevskiy. But his history with the sport is much longer. After he was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984, he began attending Philadelphia Flyers games, as the two franchises shared an arena. “I started going to hockey games and I have to say that while watching on TV is pretty good, but there’s nothing like a hockey game in person. It’s really awesome,” Barkley said last year on The Fan Morning Show on Sportsnet 590 the Fan.

Vasilevskiy played in 63 games this season, securing a record of 38 wins, 20 losses, and 5 OTs. His performance showcased a 2.18 GAA, a .921 save percentage, and six shutouts, placing him among the elite goaltenders in the league across these metrics. He’s in fourth place in the league for GAA and SV%, and his 8 shutouts put him in second, behind only Connor Hellebuyck. There’s no wonder that Barkley thinks he could single-handedly tip the series in the Lightning’s favor. But returning to the Panthers, they appear to be shedding their injury woes just in time.

The Florida Panthers aren’t going to let injuries get in their way

Recall the moment when the coach of the Florida Panthers, Paul Maurice, commented on the rivalry with the Tampa Bay Lightning, expressing, “I think there’s a really healthy respect.” He further stated,“”There isn’t anybody that I would say that I know is not ready for Game 1. There’s no injury there that’s week-to-week. We’re not going to run them hard early in this (postseason) to set anybody back,” he said. “Everybody is possible for Game 1.”” This marked a significant development for Panthers supporters, as they could potentially see one of their key forwards return to the lineup. Whom am I referring to? Clearly, the choice is Matthew Tkachuk.

Brady’s brother was missing from the lineup due to a groin injury he incurred during the 4 Nations Face-Off. Recently, a report by George Richards stated, “Matthew Tkachuk is on the ice for the Florida Panthers this morning wearing top-6 white. Nothing has started yet.” Additionally, the social media footage highlighted Tkachuk on the ice, stick in hand, with a puck evidently under his control.

Maurice’s choice to avoid pushing his player too hard during the regular season appears to have produced favorable outcomes. This time was used for Tkachuk to fully recover from the injury. Richards did note, however, that the whole team attended the practice, which shows that injuries don’t stand a chance in the face of playoff hockey.