There was a lot of worry about Matthew Tkachuk during the Stanley Cup Playoffs since he had just returned from an injury he got at the 4 Nations Face-Off. But in the end, he really surprised a lot of people on the ice. Tkachuk has really stepped up for the Florida Panthers in the postseason. In just 15 games, he’s racked up 14 points, which includes 4 goals and 10 assists. He’s also got a +5 rating and has thrown in 36 hits, showing he’s definitely making his mark on the ice. However, the forward caught up with a certain narrative recently.

During Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Panthers forward Sam Reinhart took a hit from Carolina Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho that resulted in a lower-body injury. Reinhart came back for a quick shift but ended up being ruled out for the rest of the game. Right now, he’s considered day-to-day, so it’s unclear what his status will be for Game 4. Reinhart has really been a key player for the Panthers, much like Tkachuk, and a lot of people thought he might go out there and get some payback for his teammate. Absolutely, that’s so typical of Matthew Tkachuk!

So, Tkachuk really got into it with Aho, giving him a bunch of shoves and cross-checks in Game 3. He even ended up putting him in a headlock and taking him down to the ice. Because of this, the Panthers forward ended up getting a 10-minute misconduct penalty after that, which meant he had to leave the game since it happened at 10:50 in the third period.

Later on, during the media availability for the Eastern Conference Finals, he brushed off the revenge claims regarding Reinhart, saying, “Yeah, I mean, I don’t really look at it like intent or intimidation at all. It’s just sticking up for teammates, and we’re a family in there, and, you know, it could happen to anybody, and, you know, there’s probably 20 guys racing to be the guy to stick up for a teammate like that.”

Tkachuk talked about the claims that his physical play was a response to Reinhart’s injury. He totally brushed off any idea of revenge, highlighting how solid the Panthers’ locker room culture is and how much they prioritize the team over everything else. He emphasized those elements of the team, saying, “Like, that’s just how our team’s built. That’s why we’re successful. It’s why we’re a family, and, you know, if something happens to one of our teammates, it’s, you know, I don’t think the rest of us were too thrilled at that play in game two. So, but it is what it is. It’s done with, and now the only way we can get him back is by winning the series.”

Tkachuk mentioned that what the team is doing isn’t about intimidation or getting back at anyone; it’s really about having each other’s backs like a family. He pointed out that any player would jump in to defend a teammate, showing the team’s unity and what makes them successful. He claimed that the team wasn’t happy about what happened in Game 2, but he emphasized that they’re really focused on winning the series instead of getting back at anyone. Even more so when it comes to NHL playoff play, the Florida locker room is dead serious.

Matthew Tkachuk’s teammates are staying humble

“Yeah, just one day at a time. Like right now, we just need to focus on recovery and getting as much rest as possible, and then tomorrow, next day, we will concentrate on the game. So that’s that’s about it. Like, we will live one day at a time,” captain Aleksander Barkov said. So, the locker room is keeping it real, even with that 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. They’re going at it one step at a time, making sure not to take any unnecessary risks.

In line with what the captain said, Brad Marchand chimed in, “Yeah, you don’t think about that. We’re prepared to go 7 here, and I think the biggest thing for this group is we’re really good at just focusing on what we need to do and staying in the moment and not looking ahead. You can’t start looking ahead. I mean, it’s such a dangerous game to play.” Marchand has been in a lot of postseason games throughout his career, and he really understands how teams can turn things around if they make even the smallest mistake in the playoffs.

Every step they take really matters, and they definitely aren’t getting overly confident about their strong performances. He also mentioned, “But what we’re really good at is just coming in and preparing the right way, and you have a lot of guys that have been through these moments before and kind of know how to deal with them. So you just rely on that and come in and try to do our job. It doesn’t mean that everything’s going to go our way, but you prepare to control the things that you can.” The Florida locker room is ready to tackle whatever comes their way. They’re on the hunt for their third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance and maybe even a second Stanley Cup to add to their collection.