How the Panthers reached their first Stanley Cup Final since ’96

Panthers’ resilience pays off, Matthew Tkachuk takes off

The Panthers’ journey to the Stanley Cup Final has been extraordinary. As the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, they have defied the odds, winning 11 out of their last 12 games since trailing 3-1 in the opening round against the Presidents Trophy-winning Boston Bruins, who set the record for wins (65) and points (135) in the regular season. Their resilience and determination have propelled them to this historic moment.

Throughout the regular season, they occupied a playoff spot for only 28 percent of the campaign, making them the first team in the NHL’s expansion era to reach the final despite spending less than 30 percent of the season in a postseason position.

However, the Panthers have proven that rankings and statistics hold little significance through determination and perseverance.

They’re not afraid of anyone, even the Prince of Wales Trophy, which they happily touched even though there’s another one to get. Tkachuk explained the team’s mindset: “We’re not the type of team that’s going to be superstitious. We earned that thing. We did it the hard way.”

Matthew Tkachuk’s takeover

Matthew Tkachuk’s competitive drive, skillful hands, and personality can be traced back to his father, Keith Tkachuk. The younger Tkachuk takes pride in being his father’s son, but since Keith criticized the Panthers as “soft” on a Toronto radio station in March, he has been banned from discussing his son or the team in public.

“I feel like a teenager getting punished by my parents,” Keith Tkachuk, the former NHL star who scored 538 goals, lamented to The Athletic.

Indeed, Keith’s son did it once again. He scored the overtime winner in Game 5 against Boston. He scored the quadruple overtime winner in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final and did it again, only needing 1:51 of bonus time in Game 2. In Game 3, he assisted on Sam Reinhart’s game-winning goal.

Finally, in the crucial game that sent the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final, Tkachuk scored the game-winner with just five seconds remaining. Aleksander Barkov’s clever fake created space. Tkachuk calmly took the puck across the goalmouth, defeating goaltender Fredrick Andersen and igniting the raucous crowd at FLA Live Arena, where fans joyfully threw rats onto the ice.

“Who else, right? Who else? Who else?” exclaimed Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, per The Athletic, who couldn’t contain his emotions in the postgame locker room. He realized he was now on the brink of fulfilling his hockey dream.

“It’s unexplainable what Matthew’s brought to this team throughout the season. His intensity, from his words to his actions on the ice, is amazing.”

General manager Bill Zieto, who was announced as a finalist for GM of the year on Wednesday, deserves credit for identifying the right players in trades, waivers, and free agency, including acquiring Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames last offseason.

Tkachuk, in his first year of a lucrative eight-year deal worth $9.5 million per year, has not only led the Panthers to the playoffs through his 128-point regular season but has also witnessed his legend grow to unprecedented heights.

He shows no signs of slowing down, and the opportunity to lift the ultimate prize, something his father never achieved during his illustrious career, is within reach.

The winger also credits his coach Paul Maurice, who inherited a team swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning last season after winning the president’s trophy.

“He’s made it so much fun for me to come to the rink each and every day, and that’s so important,” Tkachuk said, per TheHockeyNews.com.

Maurice had done this by being consistent with his message throughout the regular season, even when Florida, who made the playoffs by one point, was struggling. It goes back to what he said at his June 20, 2022, introductory press conference.

“Why would we pull back a team offensively that has that kind of talent with so much offensive talent,” the coach with a reputation for being defensive-minded said. “But it has to be smart.”

The stats tell the story. Last season, Florida ranked 21st in Dump-Out Rate (23.2 percent), compared to fourth (27.7 percent) in 2023. They were last in Dumping the Puck into the offensive in 2022 (44 percent) compared to 12th (51.8 percent) in 2023. Their success has continued in the playoffs, and the results have finally followed the process.

“We’ve got a few weeks left of this,” Tkachuk said, per Jameson Olive, referring to the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals. “Hopefully, they’re going to be the best weeks of our lives.”