“We packed for three games.” That’s the cheeky little gem Matthew Tkachuk dropped as the Florida Panthers roll into their next challenge, ready to ruffle some feathers in Carolina. After kicking Toronto to the curb in Round 2, the Panthers are now eyeing the Carolina Hurricanes with that same swagger. And while Leafs fans are left crying into their jerseys (again), Tkachuk and co. are out here dropping lines and making moves.

Two days out from the Conference Finals at PNC Arena, and Matty’s already stirring the pot. On Spittin’ Chiclets, Paul Bissonnette figured Tkachuk would be back home, feet up, getting locked in for Wednesday. But nope, Matty had to set the record straight with a grin in his voice: “We’re still in Toronto.”

Bissonnette, clearly vibing with the confidence, threw back a knowing “You knew, you knew.” A nod to the vibe that this Panthers squad is built different, like they already had one foot in the next round before the final horn even sounded. Tkachuk didn’t let that ride without his signature smirk, tossing in: “I wouldn’t say we knew, but we’re planning on it.” That playful jab wasn’t just for fun, it hit just hours before the Carolina Hurricanes coach decided to brush off Florida’s rising dominance like it was no biggie.

Rod Brind’Amour wasn’t sugarcoating anything after the Carolina Hurricanes got bounced by the Panthers, and he sure as heck wasn’t gonna let anyone throw around the word “swept” without a little pushback. In a press conference video shared by B/R Open Ice on X, he laid it all out: “Well, you know, that’s the unfortunate part of this is it’s gonna look back and everyone’s gonna say you got swept and that’s not what happened.” He wasn’t just defending his team; he was defending every single shift they played. “I watched the game. I’m there. I’m cutting the game. We’re in the game.” Rod sounded like a guy who watched the same movie four times, screaming at the plot twist that never went his way.

And he wasn’t done. “We didn’t get, we didn’t lose four games. We got beat, but it’s, you know, we were right there.” That line? That was Rod saying, ‘don’t let the box score write our story.’ He went on to reflect on the battles, “This could have went the other way and this could have been four games the other way.” To be fair, Brind’Amour deserves some credit there. After all, each of the four games, in what was called a 4-0 sweep, was decided by a one-goal difference, as Florida held the Hurricanes to six goals off a barrage of 174 shots. And who knows? Had Matthew Tkachuk not put the puck into the net with just 4.9 seconds left on the clock, Brind’Amour would probably be answering a different set of questions altogether.

That being said, Brin’Amour made sure to give credit where it was due: “Not to take anything away from the other team because they played hard.” And through the hurt, you could still hear the pride: “I think we took huge steps this year. You know, coming this far, like I said, with what we were missing, it’s pretty impressive.”

The Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes have already thrown down three times in one spicy little month, starting with that back-to-back late November showdown where Florida came in hot, dropping a 6-0 and a 6-3 smackdown. But the Canes didn’t just roll over; they came back swinging to open 2025, snagging a 3-1 win. Stat nerds might lean Panthers, though—Florida was one of the only four squads to outshine Carolina in 5v5 expected goals with a slick 52.44% share, which, let’s be honest, is where the Canes usually feast.

Oh, and the Carolina Hurricanes have been chilling since clinching that Game 5 dub over the Capitals last Thursday, while the Panthers? They were still sweating it out in a gritty Game 7 against Toronto just this Sunday. Still, Canes captain Jordan Staal isn’t buying the whole ‘rest advantage’ hype. “I don’t think it really matters a ton,” he said, cool as ever. “Media loves talking about the rest, but once the game gets going it’s who does it better, who is sharper, and we have to be on our game, obviously, against a great team like them.” And with that, the stage is set. And well, the Panthers even revealed on how they feel about playing against them.

Panthers open up about playing against Carolina Hurricanes

The Canes haven’t sniffed the Stanley Cup Final since they hoisted the big one back in ’06, and now they’re staring down the same Panthers squad that swept them clean in last year’s Eastern Conference Final. But make no mistake, this isn’t last year’s movie. The Panthers just clawed their way through a gritty Game 7 against Toronto and rolled straight into Raleigh for what’s shaping up to be another rock fight.

The emotions are…respect mixed with a little fire. Seth Jones gave props to his old buddy Taylor Hall, saying, “We just wanted to give ourselves an opportunity to play on a contending team, to win a Cup,” and threw flowers at the Canes’ system too: “They’re in your face, their penalty kill is in your face… They suffocate you with their forechecking.” Meanwhile, Barkov kept it real, saying every game against Carolina has been “really tough… they know it and we know it.”

And, of course, Matthew Tkachuk had to keep it spicy. “I don’t think really anybody enjoys playing Carolina,” he admitted, before nodding to how both teams have been built for this postseason chaos. “We’ve been two of the top teams in the East for… I mean, even before I got here, Carolina has been knocking at the door.” And Panthers coach Paul Maurice? He tipped his cap to Brind’Amour, saying he’s built a team with “a cohesive structure” and that both squads play “the most consistently to their identity.” This one’s got all the ingredients: revenge, respect, and a whole lot of playoff edge.