How Matthew Tkachuk Engineered the Upset of the Year
The Bruins had no answer for Florida's offensive catalyst
By his standards, Matthew Tkachuk had a quiet Game 7. However, when Carter Verhaeghe completed the Florida Panthers’ unlikely comeback against the Boston Bruins in overtime, guess who was in the thick of things?
It just felt right for him to play a role in the series-clinching sequence. Throughout a roller coaster of a first round, Florida’s newest star was involved in pretty much every positive step his squad took. He willed his teammates to a do-or-die contest, and he also helped them come through in the end.
Here’s how Tkachuk toppled the Presidents’ Trophy winners.
Transition Play
Most expected a Boston group that went 65-12-5 in the regular season to dictate the flow of the game. If Florida was to stand any chance, it would need to connect on its counterpunches.
That’s more or less how the matchup unfolded too—except when a certain Panther was on the ice:
Unfortunately for the Bruins, Tkachuk was perhaps the single worst stylistic opponent they could have drawn in Round 1. Even with a 3-1 series lead, the B’s weren’t in their comfort zone. They seemed…unsettled. That’s because Tkachuk’s breakneck tempo wouldn’t let them get settled.
The 25-year-old winger isn’t fast himself, but few forwards play faster. Before he receives the puck, he’s already envisioning how to cut the most efficient path through the neutral zone.
And with his world-class vision and touch, he’s able to impose a furious rhythm.
Against Boston, that was a cheeky tip along the boards or a slip pass. Or maybe it was a rocket through sticks or slingshot action to rope his teammates into the track meet. Regardless, the weight on his passes is so precise that he essentially gifts you a running start:
Tkachuk’s command of traffic is beautiful to watch. He recognizes where the gaps are and how he has to manipulate defenders in order to exploit them. If there’s a rush opportunity, he’ll seize it. If patience is called for, he’ll delay a beat, link up laterally or backwards and the Panthers will then attack with numbers.
For such a mediocre skater, he truly grasps the importance of speed.
This trait defused Boston’s pressure and leveled the playing field. Actually, it may well have tipped the scale in Florida’s favor. During Tkachuk’s 5-on-5 shifts, the Panthers owned:
57.0% of the shot attempts (1st on the team)
58.1% of the scoring chances (2nd)
66.7% of the high-danger chances (2nd)
77.8% of the goals (2nd)
Any time you can avoid the defensive zone and enjoy more cracks at shaky goaltenders (Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman), you’re bound to profit.
Instant Offense
Heading into the series, Tkachuk told reporters that his team would have to play nearly perfect hockey to win. In retrospect, it almost feels like those terms were more applicable to the Bruins.
While Florida doesn’t steamroll its opponents, its tendency to pounce swiftly eliminates your margin for error.
You can’t let your guard down against the Panthers because they can convert a slip-up into a back-breaking goal in the blink of an eye—and there may not be a better quick-strike artist in the league than Tkachuk. His decision-making simply operates at a different velocity. The puck is on his stick, off his stick and in the crease.
That lack of grace period—a second or two to establish your defensive posture—visibly bothered the Bruins in Round 1. They weren’t prepared for his brand of aggressiveness:
In addition to playing fast, Tkachuk also processes the game very quickly. Any time there was a funny bounce off a stanchion or body, his hockey sense enabled him to grab the biscuit before Boston could put out the fire. That meant free real estate in tight, free rebounds, free chances, etc.
It also yielded the overtime winner in Game 5:
You can’t cough the puck up against Tkachuk because he’ll ram it down your throat in milliseconds.
Along with his IQ and talent, his persistence opens a lot of doors for Florida’s offense too. Where many stars might reconsider or vary their efforts after a handful of failed attempts, he keeps at it until he smokes out that one moment of weakness.
On the power play, that manifests itself in sneaky bumper passes to Sam Reinhart. At even strength, he’s arguably the best goal-line playmaker in the world and a crafty net-front finisher. He’ll drive pucks into the deep slot as soon as possible or try to carry them there himself, either hitting paydirt or creating enough chaos for his teammates to capitalize. And they did. Frequently.
The Panthers recorded a 3.91 GF/60 when he was on the ice and he posted 11 points in seven games against the stingiest team in the regular season.
All series long, it appeared as though Boston was waiting for Florida to roll over, but Tkachuk never stopped charging into the jaws of the defense. Ultimately, it collapsed, bursting at the seams to concede a flurry of goals from locations the Bruins once dominated in their sleep.
Sure, injuries factored into the equation. A few of Boston’s core pieces dropped the ball as well. We don’t even need to address the goaltending situation. They didn’t all forget how to play hockey overnight, though.
If the Bruins didn’t look like themselves in Round 1, it’s mainly because Tkachuk’s pace and volume pummeled them beyond recognition.