Jayson Tatum hails fellow Chaminade alumnus Matthew Tkachuk as Florida Panthers join Boston Celtics with 2-0 Finals lead

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk has plenty of admirers. Among them is NBA star and former classmate Jayson Tatum. The latter expressed his admiration for Tkachuk.

Like Tatum, Tkachuk is two wins away from landing his first championship. The Boston Celtics star had this to say about the Panthers star during a post-game press conference:

"I’m a big Matthew (Tkachuk) fan. We went to school together. And I actually watched him win last night."

Tatum would go on to send some good wishes to Matthew Tkachuk:

"I’m extremely happy for him and his family. And, hopefully, they win it all."

Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers took game 2 against the Edmonton Oilers, giving themselves a 2-0 series lead. The Panthers will now head into game 3, looking to gain a stranglehold on the series.

While Tkachuk is yet to register a point in the Stanley Cup Finals, his play has been a huge factor in the Panthers’ success thus far.

Game 3 is on Thursday night in Edmonton. The Panthers can wrap up this series this weekend with a sweep and take home their first Stanley Cup championship.

Matthew Tkachuk was the final piece of the puzzle for Panthers

A recent NHL.com piece analyzed how the Florida Panthers built their current roster. The article focused on how Sergei Boborvsky’s signing was the first major piece of the puzzle. Then, other pieces fell into place, with Matthew Tkachuk seemingly being the final major one.

In that regard, Panthers GM Bill Zito offered this reflection on Tkachuk’s importance for the team, as reported by NHL.com:

“I mean, if you watch Matthew Tkachuk play hockey and then you watch our team, it wasn’t a great leap to think this is a pretty significant add that can come in, and he brings that energy and enthusiasm."

Zito would go on to reflect on how meaningful acquiring Tkachuk was to the team:

"I think he was 24 at the time, a younger player still coming into his prime and he’s a big-moment guy. I can’t tell you that I was going to be sitting here today, but that’s the goal."

Indeed, the goal is to win a Stanley Cup championship. But Zito is not the only one who’s noticed Tkachuk’s valuable contributions to the team. Teammate Ryan Lomberg had these words to say about Tkachuk:

"It’s more than just on the ice; it’s the person he is, the leader he is, the culture he brings just by being who he is. It’s something that’s very, very rare and unique."

The Panthers have a rare and unique opportunity to go up 3-0 on Thursday night. The club hopes it can replicate the performance from its first two games. With Tkachuk leading the way, the Panthers seem ready to lock down this year’s Cup.