Matthew Tkachuk has solidified his place as a key figure in South Florida.
Just two years ago, Matthew Tkachuk was so severely injured during the Panthers` Stanley Cup Final loss to the Golden Knights that he required assistance getting dressed for games. However, he bounced back last season, playing a crucial role in securing the franchise`s first championship and completing the team`s transformation that began with his arrival from Calgary in the summer of 2022.
Given that Tkachuk missed the last 25 regular-season games for Florida due to a suspected groin injury sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, it`s understandable if his performance isn`t at peak levels. Despite recording 17 points in 19 playoff games this year, he has been less prominent during gameplay compared to his previous two playoff runs with the Panthers. (Notably, he still manages to be a disruptive presence after the whistle.)
In Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers on Friday, a double-overtime win for the Panthers, Tkachuk notably failed to register a shot on goal. This marks the sixth time this postseason he hasn`t recorded a shot, a stark contrast to the two instances in 44 total playoff games over the previous two years (2023 and 2024).
After netting 17 goals, including six game-winners, in the Panthers` last two playoff campaigns, Tkachuk has scored five times in 19 games this season. He recently went through a 10-game scoring drought, spanning from the first round to the beginning of the third round, which was tied for the fifth-longest dry spell of his nine-year career (combining regular season and playoffs).
Tkachuk`s ability to generate scoring chances has significantly decreased compared to last year. His average of 1.37 chances per game ranks 103rd among 215 skaters with at least 100 minutes played in these playoffs and is eighth on the Panthers roster. In contrast, during the previous postseason, he ranked 22nd among 193 qualified skaters with 2.63 chances per game. Although his average ice time (17:23) is down by over a minute from last year (18:30), he continues to be a key player on the Panthers` power play, getting nearly four minutes of ice time per game in that situation.
Out of Tkachuk`s five goals this postseason, four originated from the inner slot area. However, he has only been credited with eight shots on net from this prime scoring location (0.42 per game). In the previous two playoff years, Tkachuk averaged 1.05 inner-slot shots per game across 44 games, resulting in 10 goals from that area.
Regarding his scoring touch, Tkachuk commented to reporters before the Stanley Cup Final: “If it goes in, it goes in. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’ve never cared. Sometimes it’s nice to see it go in, but it is what it is. I’m not [Alex] Ovechkin. They are not always going to go in, but when they do, they feel nice.”
Another characteristic trait of Tkachuk`s game, his physical play, has also been less prominent. The NHL`s data shows Tkachuk delivering 7.44 hits per 60 minutes this postseason, down from 9.73 last year. He has recorded three hits through the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final.
Despite a slight decrease in Tkachuk`s individual offensive output, the Panthers have performed effectively when he is on the ice, outscoring opponents 15-9 and achieving a 56.8% share of expected goals at 5-on-5. Tkachuk was involved in three of Florida`s five 5-on-5 goals against Edmonton, notably screening Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner on defenceman Dmitry Kulikov`s second-period goal on Friday.
