Latest news with #Tkachuk
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Predicted Stanley Cup Final Rematch Last Year
Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Predicted Stanley Cup Final Rematch Last Year originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will be meeting again in the Stanley Cup Final. Last season, Florida took down the Oilers in a dramatic seven-game series to win its first-ever championship in franchise history. Advertisement Once again, these two teams are the cream of the crop and will battle it out for the right to be called champions. But it seems that Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk may have predicted this meeting last year. Tkachuk revealed that during the handshake line after the Panthers won the Stanley Cup last year, he told multiple Oilers players that they would meet again this season. "We'll see you in the Finals next year, Stu," Tkachuk said. "You guys are too good." Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) skates on the ice prior to a playoff game against the Boston Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports Tkachuk confirmed that this was not a platitude, but rather his true opinions on who the two best teams were. "I believed that it was going to be us two again," Tkachuk said. "I think we're the two best teams in the League. And if everything would go right, it would probably be us two again in the Finals. I have that confidence in our team and they were the best team that we played last year in the playoffs. I stand by that. I believed it at the time. And here we are again." Advertisement The Oilers own home-ice advantage this time around and will be looking to get some redemption for themselves. But the Panthers have been a poised group all postseason long, and are looking to repeat as champions. Game 1 between the two teams is set to begin on Wednesday, June 4, at 8 p.m. ET. Related: Panthers Reveal Big Injury Update Ahead of Stanley Cup Final Related: NHL Insider Links Ducks With Former Joel Quenneville Star This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Miami Herald
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
With a chance at second Stanley Cup, Matthew Tkachuk's rise to stardom with Panthers continues
Matthew Tkachuk, at just 27 years old, is already well on his way to superstardom. He's a face of the Florida Panthers, who have made it to the Stanley Cup Final each of the three years he has been with the team since the blockbuster trade that moved him out of Calgary ahead of the 2022-23 season. He's a face of Team USA hockey after being a driving force for the team during the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. A spot on the USA's Olympic roster next winter is essentially a lock barring injury. He's brash. He's personable. He's the type of player you love to have on your team but love to hate when you have to face him. He knows how to work an interview. And Tkachuk, just nine seasons into his NHL career and so much time still ahead of him, isn't taking any of it for granted. 'I'm just super lucky, I think,' Tkachuk said Sunday. 'I feel like I'm not even halfway through my career and I've been fortunate enough with so many great things that have happened and been blessed.' But while most see Tkachuk for who he is and what he does on the ice — the player that gets under opponents' skin, the player who can impact a game even when he's far from 100 percent , the player who, yes, can be an instigator — there's another layer of Tkachuk that isn't seen if only looking at his performance. There's the player who each of the past two years insisted the entire team — not just the players, not just the players and coaches, everyone — be involved in the group photo for the Prince of Wales Trophy after winning the Eastern Conference final. There's the player who, on short notice, rallied the whole team together to take part in a walk around Holiday Park just outside their practice facility in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday to honor the late Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau — Tkachuk was teammates with Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary. There's the player who knows how to talk up his teammates and help foster a community of success inside the dressing room. It's a key part of the identity Tkachuk has forged throughout his career. And it's a big reason the Panthers are once again four wins from hoisting the Stanley Cup when they begin their best-of-7 series with the Edmonton Oilers at 8 p.m. Wednesday. 'I think my life changed, obviously, when I got traded here,' said Tkachuk, who has 254 points (88 goals, 166 assists) in 211 games with the Panthers and another 62 points (22 goals, 40 assists) in 61 playoff games. 'Everything's just been — it was incredible before when I was playing in Calgary, and it's just been a whole different beast down here with things that have happened. Hoping to check another box here in a few weeks.' Tkachuk will be integral in the Panthers' success. After missing the final two-and-a-half months of the regular season with an apparent groin injury sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off in mid-February, Tkachuk has steadily found his groove again in the playoffs. He has 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) through 17 postseason games, including two goals and five assists in the Eastern Conference final against the Carolina Hurricanes. But even when he wasn't scoring — he went a 10-game stretch, from Game 4 of Florida's first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning through Game 1 against Carolina in the conference final without a goal — he wasn't concerned about his individual performance. He was able to find other ways to impact the game. Plus, the team was winning. That takes priority. 'If it goes in, it goes in. If it doesn't, it doesn't. I've never cared,' Tkachuk said about scoring goals. 'Sometimes it's nice to see it go in, but it is what it is. I'm not [Alex] Ovechkin. They are not always going to go in, but when they do, they feel nice.' Tkachuk's teammates understand his multi-faceted ways of contributing. 'He's able to be an agitator without taking penalties,' forward A.J. Greer said. 'That's huge for us. A skilled guy who can play in all different types of games.' Added Sam Bennett, who centers the second line with Tkachuk on his right wing and was also teammates with Tkachuk in Calgary: 'He's a guy that doesn't need to score to be effective. He's doing everything on the ice for this team, and when he scores, it's just an added bonus.' And perhaps just as important — or maybe even more important — is Tkachuk's emotional intelligence, which coach Paul Maurice said is 'elite.' 'He can feel what a game needs. Matthew has that ability,' Maurice said. 'It's not always the hits. It's what he'll say on the bench. Sometimes he'll bark. Sometimes he'll tap on the pads. But he has a great feel for who's playing very well on the other team, when we have to get physical, when we have to lay off that. Players are far more important than coaches. If the coach is saying it, it's 'Yeah, it might be right.' If the player's saying it, they hear it.' They hear Tkachuk loud and clear. He has been a spark for this team ever since he stepped foot in South Florida. He has embraced his role through and through. And now another chance at a Stanley Cup is on the horizon. 'He's a one-of-a-kind player and we're lucky to have him on our side,' Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. 'He does it all for us. He's huge for us.'
Global News
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Global News
Oilers and Panthers now more alike as teams prepare for Stanley Cup final rematch
A year ago when the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers met in the Stanley Cup final, they were polar opposites in everything from climate, market and franchise history to deep-run experience and toughness. Since Florida won that series in seven games for its first championship, much has changed to make these opponents much more alike. The Panthers have added talent and skill, and the Oilers have gotten older and become harder to play against. Those changes set the stage for an compelling rematch. Game 1 is Wednesday night in Edmonton. 'These are the two nastiest teams left,' 2003 Cup winner Mike Rupp said. 'They don't seem to get rattled, they play with a lot of intensity — sometimes they cross the line. They just defend well. 'There's a lot of things that they're different than one another about, but at the core of it, they're pretty similar to each other.' Story continues below advertisement Comparing the two Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl haven't gone anywhere, but they've also been through the heartbreak of forcing Game 7 against the Panthers and falling short of the goal they've been hunting over the past decade together. With Trent Frederic, Jeff Skinner, John Klingberg and Jake Walman, the Oilers are bigger and more seasoned for this. 'They're meaner,' said retired defenceman Jason Demers, who like Rupp is now an NHL Network analyst. 'They have a little bite to their game — a lot more bite than last year where they were a little bit more speedy.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They have a little bite to their game — a lot more bite than last year where they were a little bit more speedy." Florida can be speedy, opportunistic and dangerous — and has been over the past few post-seasons — winning 10 of 11 series since coach Paul Maurice took over and winger Matthew Tkachuk arrived after a trade from Calgary. Story continues below advertisement The Panthers are in the final for a third consecutive year, losing to Vegas in 2023 only after Tkachuk, defenceman Aaron Ekblad and others were banged up to the point that they had nothing left in the tank. They were the underdog back then. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy With one successful Cup run complete and with Seth Jones and Brad Marchand added to the core led by Tkachuk and captain Aleksander Barkov, they now look unstoppable. 'They're a heck of a team,' McDavid said after beating Dallas to win the Western Conference final. 'Obviously, it's their third finals. 'They're a special group. We're a special group. It's going to be fun.' Rough and tumble It also could be physical. The Oilers lost hard-nosed winger Zach Hyman to a long-term injury late in the series against the Stars, but they are more prepared now to play the rough-and-tumble style Florida has won with. The fact that it's a rematch in the final — the NHL's first since Pittsburgh beat Detroit in the second of their back-to-backs in 2009 — only spices things up. There have only been four rematches in the final since 1968. 'I don't think there'll be any weeding out or wading into that series,' Demers said. Story continues below advertisement 'I think it's going to be gun shot, explosions right off the bat.' Going down two games to none last year led to McDavid's profanity-laced outburst in the locker room, a moment caught on cameras that wasn't quite enough to turn around the series. The memory of going down 3-0, clawing back to cross the continent again for a Game 7 and not winning is still fresh in his mind. The Oilers have been through that trip to the final and feel the pain now, something the Panthers endured before winning. Now it's time to see if they learn the same lesson and change the result. 'Edmonton now, I think they needed to experience last year to get to where they're at now and they're kind of unflappable,' Rupp said. 'I think that's a weapon for them.' Story continues below advertisement 1:57 Edmonton Oilers advance to Stanley Cup Finals
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why Oilers-Panthers rematch was always ‘clear' to Matthew Tkachuk
The post Why Oilers-Panthers rematch was always 'clear' to Matthew Tkachuk appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Dallas Stars in Game 5 in the Western Conference Finals on May 29, which means they'll be heading into a Stanley Cup Final rematch against the Florida Panthers. One player who seems to be excited about the matchup is Matthew Tkachuk, who called a rematch between both teams after the Panthers won last season. Advertisement 'I think it's pretty clear we're the two best teams in the league,' Tkachuk said. Both teams have played at a high level all season to get to this point, and it's obvious that the Oilers want to leave with the championship trophy. This will be the 12th rematch in Stanley Cup playoff history and the first since 2009. Last season, the series went seven games after the Panthers won the first three games of the series. When it came down to Game 7, the Panthers finally got it together and won it all. After defeating the Stars in Game 5, captain Connor McDavid spoke highly of their next matchup. 'Going up a great team,' McDavid said. 'Stanley Cup champs of last year, third finals in a row. Not much you can say about them. They're great. We'll have our hands full, but we're a good team. We're a special team, and we feel good about our game.' Advertisement It should turn out to be another great matchup between the two teams, and it could be a toss-up on who wins this time around. Panthers ready to take care of business The Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 to clinch a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Tkachuk has been a part of the Panthers' success since joining the team, and he has a different mindset now, making it to the Final. 'I remember a few years ago, it felt like such an accomplishment from where we were at one point,' Tkachuk said after the win to The Athletic's Michael Russo. 'It's all business, and we've got a bigger goal in mind. It's not our first rodeo with this.' The Panthers have won the Eastern Conference every year since Tkachuk was traded by the Calgary Flames. They've beaten Tampa twice in the Conference Finals but lost in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final to the Vegas Golden Knights. Last season, they beat the Oilers in Game 7. They'll be looking to beat the Oilers again in the rematch, and the intensity from last season should carry over.
Boston Globe
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Matthew Tkachuk explains why Panthers shoot plastic rats at Brad Marchand
While the tradition might fit Marchand's 'rat' nickname, it certainly is bizarre. Tkachuk isn't sure how it started, but he explained how the team has come to embrace it. Advertisement 'I don't actually recall how it started because I wasn't playing in the regular season. I think Marchy played 10, 15 games at the end of the regular season and I wasn't in them,' Tkachuk Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'I think it started with Roddy (Rodrigues). I think E-Rod shot the first one at him, and then Barky was like, 'If you're going to shoot one, then I'll pass one nicely into you.' Then, when I came back, we started firing them at him. So, it's been a fun tradition and people seem to like it. It fits what our team is all about: having fun and not taking anything too seriously.' Advertisement "I don't actually recall how the shooting rats are Brad Marchand got started.. I think it started with Evan Rodrigues shooting the first one and it's been a fun tradition" — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) Marchand told reporters during the Eastern Conference finals that Rodrigues was also the man behind the celebration. However, Rodrigues isn't sure how the celebration came to be. 'I don't know how it started, but I think the first game he was here, we won, we ended up doing it and it's just kind of become a little bit of a thing,' Rodrigues told reporters. Marchand has had fun and embraced the celebration. He made a joke about his longstanding 'rat' nickname when he asked why the celebration began during the Eastern Conference finals. 'They see my family on the ice and want us to be together,' Marchand deadpanned. However, Marchand is starting to feel the effects of getting the plastic rats shot at him after each game as the Panthers have won 12 of their 17 games this postseason. 'Yeah, they're shooting to hurt now,' Marchand told reporters following the Panthers' Game 2 win over the Hurricanes. 'Matthew Tkachuk caught me with one last game that I actually really felt there.' Still, Marchand wants Tkachuk, Barkov, and Rodrigues to give him their best shots when they fire the plastic rats at him. 'It better hurt like hell today,' Marchand Marchand, who turned 37 earlier in May, has been one of the Panthers' top stars this postseason. He's scored four goals and tallied 14 points, with the latter being tied for the fourth-most on the team this postseason. Advertisement On top of Marchand's on-ice contributions, Tkachuk believes the former Bruins star is a perfect fit for the Panthers. 'He's been a great addition, not only for his [physical play], but he's such a good player,' Tkachuk told McAfee. 'People don't get to see it too much. I get to see it every day, whether it's in games or practice. He's so skilled and so strong on the puck. 'Then, like you said about him fitting in culturally, I get he was a perfect Boston Bruin for a long time, but it feels like he was born to be a Florida Panther the way he is on and off the ice. So, we're very happy to have him.' Marchand will look to win his second Stanley Cup when the Panthers take on the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final. Game 1 will take place on Wednesday.
