Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk had a fair few things to say about his counterpart, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin’s performance in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Canes snapped their 15-game Eastern Conference Final losing streak with a dominant 3-0 shutout over the Panthers, avoiding the looming prospect of being swept in their last four postseason appearances in this round. The Canes last won a game in an Eastern Conference Final on June 1, 2006.
Matthew Tkachuk Identifies Jaccob Slavin as a Dangerous Player
With his statement after Game 4, Tkachuk tried to ensure his teammates understood the magnitude of the challenge posed by Slavin, who signed an eight-year, $51.69-million deal with Carolina in July 2024.
“We’ve got to make it harder on him (Slavin) if he’s going to play that much. He’s been incredible, not only this round but all year,” Tkachuk said. “Definitely a guy we’ve got to key on and a very tough player to play against.”
Tkachuk’s statement was posted on X by the Panthers’ media manager Jameson Olive.
Tkachuk on Slavin, who played 28 minutes in Game 4: “We’ve got to make it harder on him if he’s going to play that much. He’s been incredible, not only this round but all year. … Definitely a guy we’ve got to key on and a very tough player to play against.”
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) May 28, 2025
Goalie Frederik Andersen made 20 saves and earned his second postseason shutout on his return to the crease after being benched in Game 3. The Canes also went 4-for-4 on penalty kills on the night, stifling a Panthers power play unit that has now failed eight consecutive times. Slavin had four blocks and logged 28 minutes of ice time in the game.
The Canes’ breakthrough came in the second period when rookie Logan Stankoven finished a slick pass from Alexander Nikishin to give Carolina their first lead of the series. Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal sealed the win with empty-netters in the third.
Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who scored the game-winner in Carolina’s last Eastern Conference Final victory in 2006, praised his team’s showing.
“I thought we were good all night,” Brind’Amour said via NHL.com. “It was how we need to play if we’re going to have a chance, and we still have a chance.”
Florida was missing key contributors Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola, and A.J. Greer due to injuries. Game 5 of the series shifts back to Raleigh and will be played on Wednesday, May 28.
The Hurricanes are still hanging on at the edge of a cliff; one loss will see them eliminated from the playoffs.
