It didn’t end up being a sweep of the Hurricanes like in 2023, did it? Carolina finally stopped the Panthers’ charge, that too in Florida. But that’s not all. With their backs against the wall, the Hurricanes stepped up so hard, they shut out the defending Stanley Cup Champions from scoring on their own home ice. And Matthew Tkachuk knows who the Carolina culprit responsible for this is. In fact, he’s rallying his teammates to make special arrangements for the Hurricanes D-man when they meet for Game 5.
Just hours remaining before they enter the Lenovo Center on May 27, and Sr. Digital Content Manager for the Florida Panthers, Jameson Olive, made the following tweet: “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.”
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
No doubt Matthew Tkachuk is right about their opponents’ resolute D-zone and their leader, Jacob Slavin. During his time on the ice at full strength, his team had a 23-12 shot-attempt advantage as well as a 1-0 scoring edge, as per the Athletic. And maybe the Panthers missed someone like Sam Reinhart. Although their 2025 playoffs top scorer, Sam Bennett, was there, Slavin didn’t flinch. But guess what, Reinhart is set to be available tonight. So is Niko Mikkola and A. J. Greer. The Panthers are coming to the Lenovo Center to wrap up the Eastern Conference Final. The question is, will the Canes let them?
The story is developing….
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