Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers dismantled the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 on Monday night. The Oilers and Panthers dropped the gloves in the third period in what felt like a culmination of a chaotic set of events. Edmonton was rattled early in this contest, and they ended up dropping the game by the score of 6-1.

Tkachuk is no stranger to physicality. Since putting on a Panthers jersey, he has become one of the league's more imposing power forwards. This time, though, his team was on the receiving end of the physicality. The Oilers took every shot they had in Game 3. Tkchauk and his teammates acknowledged this trend during the game, and resolved to let things unfold as they may.

“We talked about it in the third. If you have to take a punch, take a punch. If you have to take a cross-check, take a cross-check. Spear, slash in the face, whatever the case is, you've got to take it. We just played a really smart game,” Tkachuk said following the Panthers win, via The Athletic's Michael Russo.

What lies ahead for Panthers in 2025 Stanley Cup Final

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Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

The Panthers have been in this position before. Florida won the Stanley Cup last season for the first time in franchise history. Last year, they took a 3-0 series lead over the Oilers. They dropped Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. But Matthew Tkachuk and his Florida teammates have rebounded quite nicely.

The Panthers now own a 2-1 series lead in this Final. This puts them two wins away from winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup. Florida could join their intrastate rival Tampa Bay Lightning as the only teams to win consecutive Cups in the 2020s.

Florida still needs to win the next two games, however. Edmonton is likely to change its play style for Game 4 in Sunrise, Florida, on Thursday night. It will certainly be interesting to see how the Panthers respond to these changes once Game 4 rolls around.