The Florida Panthers exit the holiday break in a dogfight in the Atlantic Division for the top seed. The defending Stanley Cup champions are tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs with an identical record of 22-13-2 (46 points) and will look to pull ahead of them on Monday when they take on the New York Rangers at home in Sunrise, Florida.
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One player that has seemingly found his way is forward Matthew Tkachuk. He didn’t start the season off so hot, but he’s been electric over the past month. His efforts have put the team in the position they’re currently in.
Tkachuk “Ka-Ching!”
Over the course of his last 15 games, Tkachuk has shown why he’s a problem across the NHL. He found the back of the net eight times and assisted on 12 others. That is 20 points in that span. In a six-game point streak between Nov. 27 and Dec. 7, he scored five goals and tallied ten assists. In his last five games, he has five points (three goals, two assists). On the season, he’s scored 13 goals and was credited for 22 assists through 31 games.
In his career with the Panthers, Tkachuk has scored 79 goals and piled up 153 assists through nearly three seasons. Furthermore, he has 17 goals and 29 assists in 44 playoff appearances. He’s finally found his groove again.
They Still Love Tkachuk in South Florida
Tkachuk may have had a rough go of it to start the season. But now, he is showing why he received a new deal upon being traded. Additionally, he reminds himself all the time how much he’s loved in Florida.
“I know they like me in Florida so that’s all that matters”
– Matthew Tkachuk on how he’s seen in Edmonton prior to his matchup against the Oilers on Dec. 16.
It makes sense for how much of an impact he’s made on the franchise over the last couple of seasons. He, his team, and his coach hope to make more memories for the next five years.
“His hands are just on fire right now,”
– Head coach Paul Maurice on Matthew Tkachuk’s stretch of games from Dec. 2 to Dec. 8
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Tkachuk looks to continue that during his team’s quest to go back-to-back. It would be the first team to do it since the Tampa Bay Lightning accomplished the feat in 2020 and 2021.
Can Tkachuk Continue His Dominance for the Rest of the Season?
Tkachuk looks to continue his dominant ways deeper into the season. He prepares every day for every single minute, shift, and game the same way. As long as it helps his squad, he’ll continue his routine.
“Sometimes the puck finds you, sometimes it doesn’t…You’ve just got to keep working and prepare the exact same way, which I’m doing. … At the end of the day it doesn’t matter if you’re producing or not, you’ve just got to be as dialed in with your preparation as you can and help the team in whatever way they ask.”
– Matthew Tkachuk on his preparation for game days
When Tkachuk was traded to the Panthers in the 2022 offseason, it signaled the start of a culture change that resulted in back-to-back Eastern Conference titles and the team’s first-ever Stanley Cup. If he continues his streak of success, the sky is the limit for him and the Panthers.
