Before being injured, Tkachuk ranked second for the Panthers with points with 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists).
He was also nothing more than a playoff beast.
Over the course of a back-to-back trip to Florida’s Stanley Cup final, the 27-year-old terrorist amassed 46 points (17 goals, 29 assists) and 130 hits leading the team.
During last year’s Cup run, he was tied to the team’s scoring lead with 22 points.
Outside of his offensive production, Tkachuk also affects the bench.
“They are the leaders for a reason,” Maurice said of Tkachuk, one of Florida’s alternative captains. “All of them, it’s their presence in the room, their presence in the game. Matthew’s strength is clearly not only in his hands, but also his emotional understanding of the game.”
Tkachuk has always been his best against Tampa Bay, scoring 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists) in 18 games, outperforming the pace per game in his career with the Lightning.
Still hoping to regain 19th place in the Game 1 lineup, the Panthers will drop the pack against Lightning on Scripps Sports and ESPN tonight at 8:30pm.
Click here to learn more about Watch Party.
