The Florida Panthers advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday night. And who else besides superstar Matthew Tkachuk to play hero for the team once again?
Tkachuk scored two goals on Wednesday to sink the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. His second goal was the biggest, as it won the game with five seconds left in the game.
After the game, Tkachuk's performance drew rave reviews from many of his teammates. Chief among them is longtime Panthers star and former first-overall pick Aaron Ekblad.
Ekblad fielded questions after the game when the topic of the last-second heroics came up. “Who else, right? What he’s done is unexplainable,” the veteran Panthers blueliner said of Tkachuk on Wednesday.
Tkachuk has certainly etched his name into Panthers lore with his play this postseason. The Panthers star has nine goals and 21 points in 16 games in these Stanley Cup Playoffs. He is firmly in the race for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Tkachuk has emerged as a true star since his breakout 2021-22 performance a season ago. With the Calgary Flames, he scored 42 goals and 104 points in 82 games, leading them to the playoffs.
After a disappointing exit in those playoffs, Tkachuk notified the Flames he wasn't signing long-term. On July 22, the Panthers acquired the 25-year-old in a blockbuster trade involving former franchise points leader Jonathan Huberdeau.
It's safe to say the trade has worked out so far for the Panthers. And we will see if Tkachuk can continue this insane run of form and cap it off by lifting the Stanley Cup high over his head.