“I thought his game was okay,” was all Paul Maurice had to say after Matthew Tkachuk made his return to the ice in late April. The forward laced up after two long months following the lower-body injury he picked up at February’s 4 Nations Face-Off. And yet, for Maurice, being the high-maintenance coach that he is, Tkachuk being out of “rhythm” on his return was a disappointing thing to see. But Chucky has been able to pull up his socks in style as the playoffs went on, and the Panthers’ coach is finally coming around.
With 22 points in 22 playoff games, Matthew Tkachuk has been a force of his own in the Cats’ title defense campaign. However, that wasn’t something the fans or Maurice could foresee, as the star dealt with injuries after the international hockey tournament. But that’s all in the rearview mirror, and the Florida boss couldn’t be happier to see how the 27-year-old winger has handled things with gusto.
In FloridaHockeyNow‘s latest YouTube upload from June 16, Paul Maurice could be heard talking to reporters about the upcoming Game 6 preparations. During the conversation, the topic of Matthew Tkachuk and how he’s progressed steadily through the playoffs came up. The coach claimed that it was Tkachuk’s past trysts with injuries that helped the star to push through his physical issues this time.
Referring to how Tkachuk came up with the performance of a lifetime against Vegas in 2023 and how that helped him to play against Tampa Bay after being off the ice for two months, Maurice said, “He played about 12 minutes the first night and played them because he played a game with a broken collarbone. And figured out how to get through the game. I think he had our three best chances to score that night against Vegas. So he could adapt his game very well and we knew he wasn’t at 100% or close to it actually.” Maurice then commended Matthew Tkachuk on how far he’s come over the past few weeks and pulled his weight along with the rest of the team in the most impressive manner possible.
NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA Stanley Cup Final – Media Day Jun 7, 2024 Sunrise, Florida, USA Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice speaks to reporters during media day in advance of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Sunrise Amerant Bank Arena Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xSamxNavarrox 20240607_szo_na2_0141
“And then I think the last three games he’s played have been the best of the playoffs by far.” And to think that Chucky almost missed out on the playoffs!
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