EDMONTON — Matthew Tkachuk believes the reigning champion Florida Panthers are the underdogs of their Stanley Cup Remaining rematch towards the Edmonton Oilers.
“Completely. We’ll proceed driving that underdog function. We’ve up to now,” mentioned the Panthers winger at Tuesday’s media day.
The Oilers completed with 101 factors within the common season, three greater than the Panthers (98) earned over within the Japanese Convention, to safe dwelling ice benefit within the Stanley Cup Remaining, which begins on Wednesday night time. Florida defeated Edmonton for the Stanley Cup in seven video games final postseason after blowing a 3-0 collection lead.
However that did not earn them favourite standing for this rematch. The vast majority of pundits have celebrity Connor McDavid lifting the Stanley Cup for the primary time after an Oilers collection win. ESPN BET has the Oilers as a -130 favourite to win the Cup.
“They’ve earned the best to have dwelling ice. They’d a greater common season than us, so we’re right here beginning in Edmonton,” mentioned Tkachuk. “It is not one thing that we’re new to. We have began on the highway every spherical in these playoffs. Hopefully we will use that [experience] to our benefit.”
That is the Panthers’ third straight journey to the Stanley Cup Remaining, having misplaced to Vegas in 2023 after which successful the Cup in 2024. Tkachuk chuckled when requested how Florida stays motivated with all that success.
“I imply, it is the Stanley Cup. It is probably the most motivating factor in sports activities,” mentioned Tkachuk, who has 16 factors in 17 video games within the playoffs this season. “We’re not content material with simply going to the finals. We wish to be a championship caliber workforce, yr in and yr out.”
His coach, Paul Maurice, agreed that the Panthers are something however content material with having defeated the Oilers final season.
“I could not articulate very properly the expertise of final yr previous to [winning], after which it occurs and you’ve got this unbelievable expertise along with your group of fellows that you simply care a lot about. After which they arrive again subsequent yr, and also you say, ‘God, I wish to do it once more.’ It is such a beautiful factor,” he mentioned.
For Tkachuk, one of many measures of the Panthers’ success has been how South Florida has been reworked right into a sudden hockey hotbed.
“Hockey’s sort of was the No. 1 sport down there. It has been enjoyable to be part of that,” he mentioned. “To see the expansion ever since I’ve come to Florida within the recreation and the fan base and the rinks round and what the brand new apply rink has accomplished for Fort Lauderdale and South Florida, it is simply persevering with to develop.”
As an example the purpose, Tkachuk informed a narrative from across the time he was traded to the Panthers in 2022.
“I used to be selecting up dinner someplace, on my own staying on the resort. I bear in mind anyone asking me what I did for work. I am like, ‘Oh, I play hockey’. They usually went, ‘Hockey? In Florida? You could suck,'” he mentioned, drawing laughter. “It is undoubtedly modified since then.”
