As we all know by now Matthew Tkachuk isn’t just known for his skills on the ice but also for his silver tongue. Few players in the NHL quite have the ability to get under the skin of their opponents the way Tkachuk does with words alone. And so of course, Tkachuk who got an assist in game 4 against the Leafs made headlines not just for his offensive skills but his verbal ones. So what went down this time? After a risky hit from Toronto’s Max Domi on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov right at the final buzzer, things heated up quickly between Tkachuk and William Nylander

Matthew Tkachuk, with his intense playing style, stepped up to confront Toronto’s Nylander, showing he was ready to back up his teammate and set the stage for the upcoming games. But Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling really highlighted how important Sergei Bobrovsky has been — even during those intense moments.

After a heated moment where Tkachuk clearly showed his frustration, Forsling pointed out how steady Bobrovsky has been in goal, saying, “Yeah, I mean, he’s so solid back there, and we trust him, and it gives everyone a little calm, you know. We’re trying to make him see the puck and try to box out and as much as possible and get the sticks in front. But, you know, things gonna happen, bad bounces gonna be made, and he’s been there for us.”

Forsling shared that the players have total trust in Bobrovsky, and that trust helps them keep their cool, even when the game gets intense or when things go wrong. He said that even though the team puts in a lot of effort to help Bobrovsky by keeping opponents at bay and clearing out sticks, there are bound to be some bad bounces and breakdowns along the way.

In those moments, Bobrovsky really steps up — Forsling points out how dependable he is, showing that the goaltender’s calmness helps keep things from getting too tense on the bench and out on the ice. How impressed was the team’s coach with their goaltender’s performance?

Matthew Tkachuk’s teammate got all the praise he deserves

During the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Toronto Maple Leafs really brought the heat with their offense in Game 4. But Florida Panthers’ goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was on fire too, pulling off a shutout. That’s great for the Panthers, and you can really see it got coach Paul Maurice’s attention. “I think we just totally take them for granted, which is what happens to all elite goaltenders. I mean, I can speak for myself. If he has a game that you don’t think it’s Sergei Bobrovsky-like, I spend no time wondering if the next one’s going to be like that,” the Panthers coach said, giving a nod for his goalie.

“And if he had two, he’s his own little leadership committee there. He just goes in and gives us so many consistent looks that look like tonight. I don’t spend any time thinking about goaltending, thank God. I’ll just screw it up.” Maurice candidly shared that he and the team have started to take Bobrovsky’s amazing performance a bit for granted. He pointed out that when a player is always on top of their game, it’s easy to overlook their greatness and not fully appreciate it every single night.

So, the Panthers found themselves down 2-0 in the series, and there was quite a bit of chatter about their goaltender, especially with all those goals getting past him. Now, it seems like the story has changed a bit. Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how he does in Game 5!