Paul Maurice seems to know how to rest players. At least it seemed that way at the start of round one of the playoffs, where Matthew Tkachuk was returning from a lower body injury he sustained during the Four Nations Face Off earlier in the year that caused him to sit out of 25 games of the regular season. The very fact that Tkachuk was not only able to make game 1 round 1 of the playoffs, but also score two goals and an assist in the Panthers’ first 6-2 win says a lot both about the player and the coach! Well, let’s see if they can keep it up for round 2.
As the Panthers prepare to take on Toronto Maple Leafs in round 2 of the playoffs, it seems that Tkachuk is back to resting. In a statement released by the Florida Panthers’ digital manager today, it was confirmed that Tkachuk had a day off practice. “All by design” the statement from Maurice read, “He had a heavy day yesterday. Get some of that conditioning and strength back. He’s in that not-every-second-day rotation now.”
Tkachuk’s day off was scheduled today, per Maurice.
“All by design. He had a heavy day yesterday. Get some of that conditioning and strength back. He’s in that not-every-second-day rotation now.”
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) May 4, 2025
Considering Tkachuk averaged 13:42 minutes during these playoffs, which is around 5 minutes less than what he averaged during the regular season (18:14 of ice time in 52 regular-season games,) it seems like the rest is more than warranted, especially before the start of another grueling series against their former competitors the Toronto Maple Leafs. Back in 2023 they were able to knock them out in round 2, so whether Tkachuk is fit to work is magic this year will be a vital factor in deciding the fate of the series.
This is a developing story…
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