The Florida Panthers saw Matthew Tkachuk return to the ice on Tuesday night. More than that, the Panthers star made a major impact. Tkachuk scored two goals as Florida defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday in Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It was a bit of an all-around affair for the Florida offense. Veteran Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt also scored two goals, for instance. Sam Reinhart buried one of his own, as well. In the end, the defending Stanley Cup champions turned in a complete performance.

This game is certainly special for Tkachuk. The Panthers star did not play the final 30 games of the regular season. He sustained an injury in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament with Team USA. The Americans made the 4 Nations Final after his injury. However, they lost in overtime to Connor McDavid and Team Canada.

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Following Game 1, Tkachuk addressed the media. He spoke about some of his thoughts leading into Tuesday night. The main thing for him was simply being back on the ice with his Panthers teammates.

“The main thing was just being back, and being back with the guys. Being able to compete with them. Just being around them again. It's been a long two months, some good days and some bad days. So many highs and lows. I have a ton of guys to thank for getting me to this point. It was nice to play out there for them, too. It was just great to be back with the guys,” the Panthers star said, via The Athletic's Josh Yohe.

The Panthers eliminated the Lightning from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024. Florida is hoping for a similar result, especially with Tkachuk back in the fold. These Floridian rivals retake the ice for Game 2 of the series on Thursday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.