With the Panthers making it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, all the eyes were on their star player, Matthew Tkachuk, who has been sidelined with a long-term injury. The 27-year-old suffered a groin injury while playing for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Tkachuk had to pull out midway through the tournament and also missed several crucial games for the Panthers. Further, the Panthers will face the Lightning later this week in the first-round playoff tie. Ahead of that big encounter, the Panthers’ coach, Paul Maurice, spoke about the return of Tkachuk.

During an interview ahead of the crucial playoff tie, Maurice updated the fans about the injury situation surrounding Maurice, saying, “He’s got to get through the morning skate tomorrow. We’re still monitoring his recovery off the practice. … We’ll see how he feels coming back tomorrow, and if he feels good, then he’ll go.” 

Meanwhile, Tkachuk has been spotted on the ice and has practiced for two days straight, meaning a comeback in Game 1 remains highly likely. Thus, the Panthers fans can catch a sigh of relief as their star player could be back in the fold very soon.

Further, Maurice also provided an update regarding Tkachuk’s training session as he nears his long-awaited return. “Matthew looked like Matthew. He looked fine. It wasn’t a heavy enough day, or from a variation point of view, long enough to make a game assessment for him. We’ll see how he comes in tomorrow, and when we put the whole group back on the ice,” said the coach, as he was optimistic about Matthew’s return to the team.

Having missed a major part of the season, Tkachuk has scored just 22 goals and 35 assists this season. However, he will be rearing to go in the playoffs and will hope to help his team defend their title. While the Panthers fans would want Tkachuk to make a return in the next game, his teammate, Brad Marchand, made a hilarious admission about his antics on the team.

Brad Marchand takes a cheeky dig at Matthew Tkachuk

Over the years, Marchand has been known for his locker room antics, often creating eye-catching moments. However, on this occasion, he gave it back to his teammate, Matthew Tkachuk, over his actions in the dressing room and on the ice. Interestingly, Tkachuk has been known for constantly chirping and chatting, be it in the dressing room or on the ice.

During a locker room interview, a reporter asked Marchand, “With him (Mathew) chirping and you chirping at the same time, you feel sorry for any team out there when they face you guys?” Replying with a beaming smile, Marchand said, “I think I feel more sorry for the guys in the room than anything.” This shows the close bond that the two share despite Marchand having moved to the Panthers just a few months back.

The Panthers face the Lightning in round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs tomorrow. Even as Maurice was optimistic about Tkachuk returning, he will face a race against time to get back to full fitness ahead of the crucial encounter.