Florida Panthers v Carolina Hurricanes - Game Five - Source: Getty — Matthew Tkachuk delivers eye-opening statement about Panthers' ability to win another Stanley Cup- Source: Getty

Matthew Tkachuk delivers eye-opening statement about Panthers' ability to win another Stanley Cup with same squad as last year

Modified May 29, 2025 04:46 GMT

Florida Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk opened up about the team's chances of winning another Stanley Cup with new players.

The Panthers secured their spot in the Stanley Cup Final for the third consecutive year after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final. Matthew Tkachuk emphasized that the team's success this season relied heavily on the contribution of new players.

Tkachuk stated that retaining last year's roster would not have led them to this point. He expressed a strong belief that while the core players are essential, the new additions have been crucial in elevating the team to this stage.

We wouldn't be in this position without the new guys that we have this year," Tkachuk said. "If we had run back the same team as last year, we wouldn't be in this position right now. I'm a firm believer in—each year you have your core pieces, but the additions that you make help put us over the top to this point. Really just want to win it for those guys."

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A potential rematch of the 2024 Stanley Cup final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers is on the horizon. The Oilers lead the Dallas Stars 3-1 in the Western Conference final, needing one more win to advance.

Matthew Tkachuk's Panthers advance to third straight Stanley Cup final

On Wednesday, the Florida Panthers eliminated the Carolina Hurricanes after defeating them 5-3 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final.

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The Hurricanes started strong, with Sebastian Aho scoring twice in the first period to take a 2-0 lead. Matthew Tkachuk pulled the Panthers within one, scoring on a power-play goal at 7:23 in the second period, making it 2-1.

Just 30 seconds later, Evan Rodrigues tied the game at 2-2 for Florida. Anton Lundell then gave the Panthers the lead heading into the third period. Seth Jarvis evened the score at 3-3 for Carolina at 8:30 in the third period.

Carter Verhaeghe regained the lead for Florida with a goal at 12:21, and Sam Bennett sealed the victory with an empty-net goal, securing a 5-3 win for the Panthers.

Aleksander Barkov, Bennett, Sam Reinhart, and Tkachuk all accumulated two points. Sergei Bobrovsky made 20 saves and posted a .870 save percentage.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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