NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Florida Panthers at Boston Bruins — Can Matthew Tkachuk lead the Florida Panthers back to the Stanley Cup Final?

3 key players who can lead Florida Panthers to victory in 2024 NHL Eastern Conference finals

Modified May 22, 2024 18:54 GMT

The Florida Panthers are back in the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in 12 months. After dispatching their cross-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, they eliminated the Boston Bruins for the second consecutive season to draw the President Trophy winner, the New York Rangers, in Round 3.

Like last season, the Panthers are taking on the top team from the Metropolitan Division. However, unlike a year ago, Florida won the Atlantic Division crown and is not a wild card team.

Unlike the Western Conference finals, which feature the top team, Dallas Stars (113 points), taking on the fifth-best team, Edmonton Oilers (104 points), the Eastern Conference will feature two powerhouse teams separated by just four points.

Each club is only four wins away from the Stanley Cup Final, so how does Florida overcome the Rangers in what could be one of the most intense playoff matchups this season?

3 key players who can lead Florida Panthers to victory in 2024 NHL Eastern Conference finals

#3. Sam Reinhart

Sam Reinhart scored 57 goals this season to finish with the second-best total behind Auston Matthews' 69 lamplighters. After 11 games, he's not producing at the same rate, with just five goals and nine points to rank third and fourth in each category after being the team's leading scorer in the regular season.

Thankfully, other players have stepped up to spread out the scoring, with Matthew Tkachuk (14 points), Aleksander Barkov (13 points) and Carter Verhaeghe (11 points) all ahead of Reinhart on the list.

Considering he is about to hit free agency and just had the best statistical season of his career, with a monster playoff series against New York or in the Stanley Cup Final, these performances could go a long way in securing his financial future.

#2. Sergei Bobrovsky

Sergei Bobrovsky is a two-time Vezina Trophy winner and led the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final in June 2023. Although many critics wondered if he was burnt out last year, he rallied and had a playoff run for the ages.

During the regular season, he was statistically great, finishing as a finalist for the best goalie award once again. However, his save percentage numbers are down from .915 to .902 in the postseason.

Bobrovsky had a 2.80 GAA and a .896 SV% in the opening round. He rebounded against the Boston Bruins in Round 2 with a 2.00 GA and .907 SV%. After 11 playoff games, he's had only five games with an SV% over .900, keeping Panthers fans on the edge by giving up untimely goals.

If Florida wants to advance in the battle of two elite Russian netminders, they must see the best of Bobrovsky or risk losing in the third round.

#1. Matthew Tkachuk

Tkachuk was the talk of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, scoring four game-winning goals, three of which came in overtime. His legacy as a clutch player only grew with each passing series, and he was the odds-on favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy until a broken sternum forced him to the sideline in the final.

The Panthers are back in the third round this year, but Tkachuk has been almost invisible. Yes, he fought Bruins' superstar David Pastrnak in Round 2, but he is not the same game-breaker as in 2023.

Given the stakes of the Eastern Conference finals against the NHL's best team, Tkachuk needs to make his presence felt at every faceoff, in every puck battle, and on every game sheet.

For the Panthers to compete for the Stanley Cup for the second time in 12 months, they need Tkachuk to become the Conn Smythe Trophy favorite as he was just a season ago.