“I thought his game was okay,” was all Paul Maurice had to say after Matthew Tkachuk made his return to the ice in late April. The forward laced up after two long months following the lower-body injury he picked up at February’s 4 Nations Face-Off. And yet, for Maurice, being the high-maintenance coach that he is, Tkachuk being out of “rhythm” on his return was a disappointing thing to see. But Chucky has been able to pull up his socks in style as the playoffs went on, and the Panthers’ coach is finally coming around.

With 22 points in 22 playoff games, Matthew Tkachuk has been a force of his own in the Cats’ title defense campaign. However, that wasn’t something the fans or Maurice could foresee, as the star dealt with injuries after the international hockey tournament. But that’s all in the rearview mirror, and the Florida boss couldn’t be happier to see how the 27-year-old winger has handled things with gusto.

In FloridaHockeyNow‘s latest YouTube upload from June 16, Paul Maurice could be heard talking to reporters about the upcoming Game 6 preparations. During the conversation, the topic of Matthew Tkachuk and how he’s progressed steadily through the playoffs came up. The coach claimed that it was Tkachuk’s past trysts with injuries that helped the star to push through his physical issues this time.

Referring to how Tkachuk came up with the performance of a lifetime despite playing with a collarbone injury against Vegas in 2023 and how that helped him to play against Tampa Bay after being off the ice for two months, Maurice said, “He played about 12 minutes the first night and played them because he played a game with a broken collarbone. And figured out how to get through the game. I think he had our three best chances to score that night against Vegas. So he could adapt his game very well and we knew he wasn’t at 100% or close to it actually.” Maurice then commended Matthew Tkachuk on how far he’s come over the past few weeks and pulled his weight along with the rest of the team in the most impressive manner possible.

“And then I think the last three games he’s played have been the best of the playoffs by far.” And to think that Chucky almost missed out on the playoffs! Talking to reporters on Monday, Tkachuk also noted that his chances of playing in the postseason were 50-50 a few days before even the playoffs were slated to begin.

Truth be told, when it was officially announced that the star would indeed be back in the roster to play against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round, fans actually didn’t take it well. Highlighting how many of Florida’s opponents’ players had to serve a suspension by the NHL for not playing in Game 82 of the regular season, many hockey connoisseurs couldn’t hide their frowns on how Tkachuk got to evade a similar verdict by the League. But all that’s in the past as of now.

Tkachuk scored twice upon his return. Even if Coach Maurice didn’t like what he saw in his winger’s performance, the Panthers star’s impact on the game was beyond any doubt. And now, with 22 postseason points to his name, Tkachuk is tied with Sam Bennett as the Cats’ leading scorer in the playoffs. But the American has been just as impactful on the Panthers’ success without his stick (and his gloves, for that matter).

Matthew Tkachuk has been phenomenal. But can it take the Panthers all the way?

True to his reputation, Matthew Tkachuk has already gotten into a number of fights ever since Florida began its postseason campaign. From taking revenge for Brandon Hagel’s hit on Aleksander Barkov during Round 1 against the Bolts to sparing no quarter to Darnell Nurse in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals, the Cats’ winger has been productive both with and without the hockey stick.

But with all things said and done, Tkachuk and Co. still have to push for the final climb ahead. After Game 5, the Florida Panthers lead the best-of-7 series 3-2. But the Edmonton Oilers, the winners of two back-to-back Western Conference championships themselves, aren’t a team that would cede ground so easily either. “We said all season we don’t do it the easy way. We’ve always taken it and made it the hard way and that’s our approach,” Corey Perry noted how Game 6 could bring out the best in Kris Knoblauch’s boys yet.

Last year, it was almost a similar situation. Going into Game 6, the Cats had the lead, but the Oilers managed to put out a stellar display at home to push things to Game 7. But will that be repeated again this time? Or can Tkachuk reach into his arsenal and help the team lift the Cup for the second time in two years tomorrow at the Panthers’ home ground? Share your predictions with us below!