The Florida Panthers don’t want to give Keith Tkachuk too much credit for sparking their late-season turnaround and unlikely run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, even though his calling them “soft” in an appearance on TSN Radio’s CHUM in March immediately preceded a season-saving six-game winning streak.
At least, they don’t want to give him too much credit for just one appearance on a Toronto radio station. The former All-Star left wing did make one important contribution to these Panthers.
“The joke in our room was,” coach Paul Maurice said with a smile, “he had a tremendous impact on our season 25 years ago.”
He then waited for laughs to ripple through the room. “Basically, it’s been Mrs. [Chantal] Tkachuk after that,”he added.
On Wednesday, Matthew Tkachuk, 25, scored an Eastern Conference finals-winning goal with 4.9 seconds left in Game 4 at FLA Live Arena to send Florida to its first Stanley Cup Final since 1996 and the superstar right wing confirmed he has his father in “timeout.”
All-Star center Aleksander Barkov interjected Wednesday as Tkachuk revealed his punishment.
“We’re here because of him,” the captain quipped.
The 51-year-old’s harsh words — no matter how big an effect they actually had — did trickle down to the Panthers.
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It was either the most consequential radio interview in NHL history or the funniest coincidence in Florida history.
“He knows what he’s talking about, right?” left wing Ryan Lomberg said. “It’s not like he’s a normal dad that thinks he knows everything just because he watched their kids growing up and playing. He’s one of the only dads that kind of everybody hears.”
As a refresher, here’s what Tkachuk said nearly two months ago:
“I’m a little disappointed in the Panthers. They’re a soft team and they’re getting everything they deserve right now. … “It’s up to them to get their butts going and start playing like the team that should be a lot better than what they’re showing right now.”
The interview on “First Up with Korolnek & Colaiacovo” came two days after Tkachuk was up in Canada to watch Florida lose to the Senators — Brady Tkachuk, his younger son, is an All-Star left wing for Ottawa — and it capped a season-worst four-game losing streak for the Panthers, leaving them three points out of a postseason spot with only eight games left in the regular season.
A few hours later, Florida upset the Maple Leafs in Toronto to jump start a six-game winning streak. The Panthers recorded points in 7 of 8 to close out the regular season and make the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs and have now won 11 of 12 to make the Cup Final.
Since Tkachuk’s comments, Florida has won 18 of 26, going from the last team into the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Final.
“Whether it impacted it or not, he was right,” Lomberg said. “Obviously, he knows what he was talking about and I’m sure he’s enjoying our style of play now.”
Panthers let skaters rest, recover
Although he wasn’t on the ice for the Panthers’ first practice ahead of the Final on Saturday, Eetu Luostarinen is “going to be fine” to play in the championship series whenever it starts next, Maurice said.
It’s the luxury of sweeping the Hurricanes: Florida will get at least a full week off — and at least a three-day rest advantage on its opponent — before the Final begins either Wednesday or next Saturday.
“We’ve got some guys off that we can really heal right now,” Maurice said, “and they’ll still get time.”
Tkachuk and forward Nick Cousins also did not practice Thursday in Sunrise.
The Panthers will know exactly when the Final will start by Sunday, although the opponent still could be a mystery.
If the Golden Knights win Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Saturday to clinch the series, Game 1 of the Final will be Wednesday at Vegas. If Stars win and push the West finals to a Game 6, Game 1 of the Final will be Saturday in either Dallas or Paradise, Nevada.