It was never a friendship. In fact, far from it. At most, it was as if fate had brought the two men—on two extreme ends of the spectrum—together like a cruel joke. Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk had never been envisioned as the perfect pair. If history’s any witness, they had the perfect social (or must we say geopolitical) makeup to fare off better as enemies. As the Canadians booed the US National Anthem, and vice-versa, the duo’s fierce rivalry heated up at an equal pace. First, it started with subtle jabs, which then transformed into full-blown digs.

Tkachuk’s confident proclamation of “It’s our time right now,” after United States’ electric win (3-1) over Canada back in February was met with a scathing remark a few days later. After Marchand’s team pulled off a 3-2 (in overtime) 4 Nations championship win, the player shot back, “Sometimes when you shoot your mouth off in the media, it bites you.” But just when fans thought they’d get to enjoy more of the traded blows, what they got handed instead was a cinematic happily ever after-esque union. After 16 long seasons with the Boston Bruins, Marchand was traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a conditional 2027 second-round pick, with the Bruins retaining 50 percent of Marchand’s contract.

Ironically, the veterans have shared nothing but endearing words for each other since then—the latest instance of which happened just a few days after the Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the fourth straight season.

In episode 559 of Spittin’ Chiclets on May 1, Tkachuk popped in and talked about how great it has been to have Marchand on his team, saying, “It’s been unreal having him in. And he’s got what everybody wants in this league, and that’s that winning pedigree and being a champion and having that experience. And I think that’s what our team’s greatest strength is…we might not be the most skilled team, we might not be the most fast, we might not be the most physical, but we’re a deep team and we have the experience.” Wow, that’s a pretty bold and straightforward thing to say from Tkachuk.

Of course, this isn’t Marchand’s first time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Even if it’s a new jersey for him, the experience talks on ice, and that is what Tkachuk was talking about. Having someone like Marchand on the team really brings in valuable insights from his experience in these games, and it fits nicely with how the team works together. “So we have to use that to our advantage. And bringing in a guy like Marshy, who’s done it before and been on such a great team, and year after year being on great playoff runs, we couldn’t have asked for a better addition,” said Tkachuk.

With Marchand joining the team, the Florida Panthers have made it to Round 2, having taken down the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 in the series. Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk really stepped up for the Panthers, making some solid contributions on the ice. Notably, Marchand is also a 2011 Stanley Cup champion, which definitely adds a lot of experience to the mix. So, having him in the Panthers is a big advantage, and Tkachuk is just happy with the addition. But, don’t worry. The admiration is mutual.

Speaking with the NHL on TNT panel before Game 2 vs Lightning last month, the 36-year-old joked, “He’s a terrible guy,” before adding, “No, he’s great. Keeps the room really light, but he’s ultra competitive. You see the mindset he gets into when it becomes game time.”

Having said that, are you aware that the playoffs’ MVP, as per their coach, wasn’t any of their forwards?

The spotlight didn’t go to Matthew Tkachuk

After the Florida Panthers wrapped up a 4-1 series win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, coach Paul Maurice didn’t hold back when talking about the team’s MVP. He mentioned, “But I think possibly the spotlight should then go back on Sergei Bobrovsky; it doesn’t matter how good you are in the goal if you don’t have a guy in that situation.”

Florida’s offense really stood out with players like Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Marchand, and others making an impact. Maurice also acknowledged goaltender Bobrovsky for his contribution to their Round 1 victory. In the series, Bobrovsky really shined with a strong 4-1 record, posting a 2.21 GAA and even snagging a shutout. It just goes to show how reliable he is in net.

The goaltender really stepped up during the series, helping Florida finish things off against the Lightning in just five games. He’s such a key player for the Panthers, especially when the stakes are high, helping them push deeper into the playoffs. Hopefully, that same trend will continue as we inch closer toward the ultimate showdown.