Not everything went the Panthers’ way despite their win against the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In what was expected to be a keenly contested Battle of Florida, the Panthers ran rampant to defeat their rivals 4-1. After the tie, Matthew Tkachuk made some shocking comments over the rivalry between the Lightning and the Panthers, which invited the wrath of the former’s fans. Days after that controversy, Tkachuk broke his silence on this matter.

The Panthers and the Lightning have a history of many memorable battles over the years. However, in recent times, the Panthers have dominated the rivalry. Last year, they won the same playoff tie against the Lightning by the same margin. As a result, it prompted Tkachuk to downplay the Battle of Florida. He said, “I don’t know if it’s really a rivalry. But it’s nice to beat them back-to-back years, both in five, so it’s been fun playing them. We’ve had some success the last couple of years and hopefully can keep the momentum, but it’s a hard-fought series; we don’t like them, and I know they don’t like us. I’m excited.”

This didn’t go down well with the Lightning fanbase, who strongly condemned Tkachuk’s comments. While some fans compared it to the Canada vs the USA rivalry, others slammed his comments, with one fan even calling Tkachuk a “loser.” However, during the latest episode of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, Tkachuk cleared the air surrounding his comments. Asked if it was done to support his coach, Paul Maurice, Tkachuk said, “We always have our coach and our players back. The games are intense and it was a great series, we’re just happy to move on.”

Meanwhile, it was the comeback tie for Tkachuk, who was away from the action due to a groin injury suffered at the Four Nations Faceoff earlier this year. However, he came back strongly to net two goals in Game 1 as the Panthers made a positive start. With the title hopes very much in balance now, Paul Maurice had something to say for his star forward.

Paul Maurice highlights the importance of Matthew Tkachuk

The Panthers had to huff and puff en route to the Stanley Cup Playoffs as their key player, Matthew Tkachuk, was sidelined due to a groin injury. He missed several important games ahead of the Playoffs but came back strongly to find his goal-scoring touch once again. After scoring a couple of goals on his return, the Panthers’ coach, Maurice, heaped massive praise on him.

Maurice said, “That’s what he is for us. He’s got an incredible set of hands, got an incredible gift for the emotional needs of a game, when you need a hit, when you need a big play. He’s been great for us.”

Additionally, fellow teammate, Nate Schmidt, was also full of praise for Tkachuk, saying, “It’s not really a guy you can put a label on. He’s such a unicorn of a player. But, more than anything, just how he is in the room, getting the guys fired up for the game, you feel his energy, you feel his excitement.”

With the first level passed, the Panthers will face the Maple Leafs in the second round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Can the Panthers defend their Stanley Cup title this year? Let us know your views in the comments below.