Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett have a strong friendship and great chemistry on the ice, which has really helped the Florida Panthers succeed. Even though Bennett didn’t stay much time in Calgary, their reunion in Florida has really made a difference. Tkachuk decided to join the Panthers partly because of Bennett’s impact and the lifestyle he showed off in Florida. “You guys can thank Benny for my love for Florida. He’s the one who showed me around. It was cool,” Matthew Tkachuk mentioned that Bennett took him and a few others out when the Flames were in Florida, and at that time, Bennett was already with the Panthers.

They both played together for 11 seasons with the Flames, building a solid on-ice chemistry that’s carried over to their time with the Panthers. Tkachuk got picked up by the Flames back in 2016 and spent six seasons with them. In 431 games, he notched up 152 goals, 230 assists, and a total of 382 points, placing him among the franchise’s top players in various categories. He really stood out during the 2021-22 NHL season, hitting a career-high of 104 points, which ultimately led to his trade to the Panthers.

Bennett suited up for 402 regular-season games with the Calgary Flames. He played 30 playoff games with the Flames, too. He racked up 140 points with the Flames, which breaks down to 67 goals and 73 assists during the regular season. In the playoffs, he added another 19 points, scoring 11 goals and making 8 assists. So, with this postseason going really well, Bennett had a pretty honest confession for his team. “Yeah, I don’t know if there was, you know, one turning point. I think it would just, I think it just comes from experience. Obviously, I’ve got quite a few playoff games under my belt now and I’ve always felt, you know, the need to to perform when the game’s the biggest,” the Panthers forward shared, giving a glimpse into the Florida locker room.

“And I don’t think anything’s changed, but I think just my experience from when I first got traded here, finding that confidence and then just yeah, performing in the big games, I think is something that I’ve always prided myself on and yeah, it wasn’t one moment though.” Bennett points out that his growth has been a slow and steady process, built on the experiences he’s gained from playing in several playoff games.

He gets that there’s a lot of pressure when it comes to playing in big games and thinks that his knack for stepping up comes from his playoff experiences and the confidence he built after moving to Florida. Bennett has always seen himself as a player made for the big moments, and his experience with the Panthers has only strengthened that belief. His stats in the current postseason really speak for themselves.

So far, in 14 games, he’s netted 9 goals, provided 4 assists, and racked up a total of 13 points. And yet, despite all this, the most disheartening part is that the Panthers are going to be missing one of their star players for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Matthew Tkachuk’s teammate to stay absent in Game 3

Just a few hours back, it was confirmed that Sam Reinhart won’t be in Game 3, and Jesper Boqvist will be stepping in for him. The reason behind it? In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final, the Florida Panthers went up against the Carolina Hurricanes, and things got a bit tricky when Panthers forward Sam Reinhart suffered a lower-body injury.

The incident took place late in the first period when Reinhart was carrying the puck into the offensive zone on a power play. The Panthers forward took a hip check from Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho at 14:49 of the first period, and it caused Reinhart’s left leg to bend in an awkward way. He made a quick return for a 12-second shift before the period ended, but he didn’t come back for the second period and was ruled out for the rest of the game. Further appearances are reportedly to be on day-to-day calls, but things seem grim.

In Reinhart’s line, which combines Aleksander Barkov and Evan Rodrigues, Boqvist will be able to demonstrate his abilities because of this. We’ll just have to wait and see how well he does for the Panthers. Thoughts on the Panthers’ Stanley Cup bid – yay or nay?