During the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Florida Panthers took out the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, wrapping up the series with a 4-1 victory. The Panthers wrapped up the series with a solid 6-3 win in Game 5, thanks to Eetu Luostarinen’s impressive showing, where he notched a goal and three assists. So, just when Lightning fans thought they were having one of their roughest days of the season, Matthew Tkachuk from the Panthers hit them with a bombshell after the game. What did he say?
“I don’t know if it’s really a rivalry. But it’s nice to beat them back-to-back years, both in five, so it’s been fun playing them. We’ve had some success the last couple of years and hopefully can keep the momentum, but it’s a hard-fought series; we don’t like them, and I know they don’t like us. I’m excited,” the Panthers forward mentioned. That’s really rubbing salt in the wound… Ouch! Tkachuk just threw some shade at the rivals! In 2024, the Panthers took down the Lightning with a score of 4-1 in the first round. Florida kicked things off strong, winning the first three games, then stumbled a bit in Game 4. But they bounced back and wrapped up the series with a solid 6-1 victory in Game 5.
Pretty much the same for the defending champions this year! It seems like Lightning fans still have something to look forward to, even after their team’s exit in Round 1. Did you see that NHL post on X? They announced that “Leon Draisaitl, Connor Hellebuyck, and Nikita Kucherov are finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded annually ‘to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.’”
Nikita Kucherov really sparkled during the 2024-25 NHL season, proving once again that he’s one of the top players in the league. The forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning really stood out this season, leading the NHL in scoring with an impressive 121 points. That includes 37 goals and 84 assists, which earned him his third Art Ross Trophy. Pretty amazing, right? He racked up 84 assists, which put him in a tie with Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon for the top spot in the league.
Follow your Hart. #NHLAwards
Leon Draisaitl, Connor Hellebuyck, and Nikita Kucherov are finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded annually “to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.” pic.twitter.com/udt1LXhSQP
— NHL (@NHL) May 1, 2025
Kucherov’s performance has landed him a spot as a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy, which goes to the league’s most valuable player. He’s up against Leon Draisaitl and Connor Hellebuyck for the honor. Kucherov won the Hart Trophy back in the 2018-19 season, and now he’s a three-time finalist. Pretty impressive, right? He’s also a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award, which is pretty cool because it honors the most outstanding player as voted on by other NHL players. Now, coming back to Florida, even with players like Matthew Tkachuk on the team, the Panthers’ coach pointed out that another player really stood out as the series’ MVP based on his analysis.
Not Matthew Tkachuk, but Panthers coach’s attention was on another star player
Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice kept it simple when he picked the standout player from his team, saying, “What you really appreciate is on the bench by what gets said, the composure part of it. But I think possibly the spotlight should then go back on Sergei Bobrovsky; it doesn’t matter how good you are in the goal if you don’t have a guy in that situation.”
Florida’s offense was impressive as they had players like Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and many more, but Maurice also gave a nod to goaltender Bobrovsky for his role in their Round 1 win. In the five-game series, Bobrovsky had a solid 4-1 record, boasting a 2.21 GAA and even managing to get one shutout, showing just how dependable he is in goal.
In Game 2, Bobrovsky really shone, making 19 saves and earning a shutout that put the Panthers ahead 2-0 in the series. His steady performance during the series really helped Florida wrap things up against the Lightning in just five games. Maurice really appreciated Bobrovsky’s experience and calmness. He’s been such a valuable player for the Panthers, especially when the pressure is on, helping them move further into the playoffs.
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