The Florida Panthers are gearing up to face the Atlantic Division champions, the Toronto Maple Leafs, in Round 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs. While the official start date has not been announced, it is anticipated that the series will likely kick off on Monday, May 5.
The Panthers, the reigning Stanley Cup champions, are looking to lift the trophy for the second time in their history. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs are chasing a trophy drought that has lasted a league-record 56 seasons.
Matthew Tkachuk Opens Up About Former Rival Brad Marchand
The Panthers made some bold acquisitions before the trade deadline passed, with Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand emerging as their most high-profile trade on deadline day. Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk appeared on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Friday, May 2, and discussed the dynamics of having a longtime rival player transform into a teammate.
“I know that he’s had such an amazing career, but I still don’t know if people give him the credit he deserves, because he really is an incredible player,” Tkachuk said. “And he’s been an incredible teammate so far. So we’re so lucky to have him. And it was terrible and brutal playing against him all those years in Boston. So we’re very lucky to have him now.”
Tkachuk also talked about the instant impact Marchand’s arrival had on the Panthers’ mindset.
“Yeah, the team morale skyrocketed, getting a guy like that. I know everybody in Boston, or at least everybody I’ve talked to, weren’t too big fans of us down here, but now they are, especially now that we’re playing the Leafs. Everybody in Boston is pulling for us, especially against the Leafs,” Tkachuk added.
Tkachuk scored three goals and had two assists in the five-game series triumph in Round 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Florida had five other attacking players who also had five points in the series, with Sam Reinhart at the top of the franchise’s points chart with six points in five games.
The Panthers’ lethal offense has been sharpened even further with the addition of Marchand, in Tkachuk’s opinion.
“He’s such an ultra-competitor. His compete on the ice, and his mental warfare that he has with guys, and some of the stuff he can say to get them off their game, it’s top notch. It’s just so great seeing how great a player he is up front, in practices, during the game, but just a complete player he is,” Tkachuk said.
The Panthers will face the Maple Leafs in the postseason for the second time ever. Their only earlier meeting occurred in Round 2 of the 2023 playoffs, where Florida won the series in five games.