The Florida Panthers have dropped two straight games to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference Second Round.
Florida fell 4–3 in Game 2 on Wednesday, May 7, and concerns are growing around Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk, who has yet to score in the series and has just one assist through two games.
Florida Panthers HC Paul Maurice Addresses Matthew Tkachuk Concerns
Speaking with reporters after the Game 2 loss, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice talked about Tkachuk’s performance.
“I thought he was good tonight. Like, he was generating. This was the best game for me that he’s played. I liked his game,” Maurice said.
Tkachuk missed the final 25 games of the regular season after suffering an injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. He bounced back in Round 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring three goals and adding two assists in the five-game series.
Still, questions about his health and conditioning resurfaced after he skipped practice on Sunday, May 4, the day before Game 1 against Toronto. He’s suited up for both games in the series but hasn’t matched his first-round production.
Tkachuk also came under fire from fans and analysts after Game 1 for allegedly trying to take out Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner in the final seconds. A fan-made video that appears to show Tkachuk slamming Marner into the boards while the PA announcer counts down went viral.
Florida nearly erased Toronto’s lead in Game 1 but fell short, losing 5–4. In Game 2, Marner broke a 3–3 tie with what proved to be the game-winning goal.
“We’re just trying to keep our calmness,” Marner said via NHL.com.
“It’s going to be a roller-coaster ride throughout every game. There’s going to be different ups and downs throughout everything. We’re playing a heck of a hockey team over there and you know they’re going to come with everything especially when they’re down goals, and for us, it’s just trying to stay even-keeled throughout it all.
“Try to just focus on your next shift. You can’t change anything in the past, so just stay in the present, stay in the moment, try to do your thing, and luckily enough, I threw a puck on net and it went in.”
Max Pacioretty, William Nylander, and Max Domi also scored for the Maple Leafs. Captain Aleksander Barkov opened the scoring for Florida, with Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell adding goals as well.
The Panthers need a spark soon, or this series could slip away faster than expected.