“You miss competing, you miss the fans, the energy, the emotion, the battles with the other team,” an elated Matthew Tkachuk said after helping the Panthers win their first game against Tampa Bay in the playoffs today. Remembering that the Florida star was decommissioned out of action ever since the lower-body injury Tkachuk picked up at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, the glee over being back is justified. And yet, the Panthers’ head coach, Paul Maurice, wasn’t impressed. Not really.
The Panthers’ regular season wasn’t what you’d expect from the defending Stanley Cup champs. Posting a 47-31-4 record, Maurice’s boys were mediocre at best over the final stretch of the regular season, and one could speculate: probably not having Matthew did make a difference. However, he’s back now, and the Miami team’s fans can breathe a sigh of relief. But the HC thinks it’ll be a long way before Tkachuk gets his mojo back.
At the Amalie Arena today, the Florida Panthers secured a thunderous 6-2 win over the Bolts to take the lead in the seven-game series. Matthew Tkachuk, playing his first hockey game after months, instantly proved why he’s considered such an incredible talent with the stick. The 27-year-old forward scored twice against Tampa Bay. And yet, in a YouTube upload by the official Panthers’ channel on April 22, Coach Maurice was heard saying how his star player’s performance tonight didn’t overwhelm him.
“I thought his game was okay. When you put it in the context, he hasn’t played a hockey game in two months. You know, you or I wouldn’t have any hands in that game. For him, he can still take that much time off and handle a puck the way he handles it. And the rest of it was just smartly played by him,” Maurice told reporters without too much jubilation in his voice, despite the massive win. Along with that, the veteran hockey coach also noted how Matthew’s colleagues helped to make his comeback easier.
“But I was very happy with Mackie and Sam Bennett. I thought they played a really smart…and allowed Matthew to kind of get re-acclimated to the game,” Maurice said. Forward Mackie Samoskevich picked up an assist, while Sam Bennett managed to find the back of the Bolts’ net to make Tkachuk’s first game after so long a memorable one. And yet, while his face lit up recalling the immaculate way his boys secured the win, Maurice still couldn’t stop noting how Matthew didn’t look to be in his “rhythm“.
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