There is tension in the air now that the NHL playoff series is going to enter its next round soon. But what exactly is it that drives the team till the end? Is it the goals and saves or something beyond the scoreboard too? Well, leadership and mutual respect can do a lot. Now that the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers gear up for their intense Game 7 showdown, all eyes are on the leaders who carried their teams so far. To say that it has been a tough journey would be an understatement. And right in the middle of it all, it’s the Panthers’ alternate Matthew Tkachuk, yet again not holding it back when he said something special.
As Arun Srinivasan on X reported—“Matthew Tkachuk spoke at length about his admiration for Auston Matthews ahead of Game 7.” Wait, did the Panthers’ fiery forward just drop his guard to speak about someone from his rival right before the ultimate face-off? While it might send a wave of surprise through the NHL world, let’s not forget they were teammates back then, playing for Team USA in the Four Nations Face-off. “I think he’s been playing really well this whole series. He’s a force at both ends. And I got to see his leadership at the 4 Nations and how he leads by example,” Tkachuk said.
“I wouldn’t say he’s the most vocal in the room, but when he says something, everyone’s listening. He’s a big presence in the room, that’s one thing I learned a lot. He’s obviously one of the best players in the world, and I think he’s been great this series. It’s tough to shut down a player like that, so it’s going to take all five guys, all four lines, all six D. We’re playing on the road, so it’s going to take everybody tonight. He’s one of the best in the world, so we have our work cut out for us.”
Matthew Tkachuk spoke at length about his admiration for Auston Matthews ahead of Game 7: pic.twitter.com/s0UltUUKpK
— Arun Srinivasan (@Arunthings) May 18, 2025
And let’s admit, the Panthers star didn’t just praise Auston Matthews but offered a genuine nod from one leader to another in the thick of war. After all, Auston Matthews, after being slammed by critics for going goalless in the early part of the series, answered when it mattered most. Talk about Game 6 and it was the captain’s redemption arc, scoring a clutch goal in their 2-0 win to force the final showdown, right?
Not only this but Matthews indeed had been playing an all-around game alongside making crucial defensive plays and leading the charge with poise. However, it is in the midst of all this that the Panthers’ alternate captain didn’t wait to send a clear warning to the Maple Leafs, despite admiring the strength and power of their captain!
What did Matthew Tkachuk say that flipped the script on their game 6 loss?
While the series is tied at 3-3 and the ice is set for the most decisive Game 7, Tkachuk didn’t waste any moment to build the heat by dropping what sounded like both a strategy and a warning to the Maple Leafs. “Our game is built on wearing teams down over the course of a seven-game series, over the course of a game. It might not show in the first five minutes, but hopefully it shows in an overtime or late in the third,” Tkachuk stated while setting the exact tone for what feels less like a hockey game and more like a survival test now.
And to be fair, he didn’t just stop there but further shook up the Leafs fans while revealing another big advantage following the big matchup. But what? Something that Toronto might find distracting! “As a road team, you just come in here and don’t have to worry about anything. You don’t have to worry about tickets. You don’t have to worry about people coming in,” the Panthers alternate later spoke about not facing the hustle of facing the media buzz and all. Because their only focus? Win and move ahead.
But here we are. Anticipating what would turn out to be the biggest night in NHL history in just a few hours! With much unfinished business and two captains earning the spotlight in wildly different ways, who is going to be the next one claiming the title of the Stanley Cup Champions? Let us know.
The post Matthew Tkachuk Makes Crucial Auston Matthew’s Confession Ahead Of Game 7: “It’s Tough” appeared first on EssentiallySports.