Matthew Tkachuk discloses Panthers' Game 4 priorities; it's not winning Stanley Cup

As the Florida Panthers gear up for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers, alternate captain Matthew Tkachuk shared insights into the team's mindset and priorities on Friday. Tkachuk claimed that their focus isn't solely on winning the Stanley Cup but rather on maintaining their game-by-game approach and staying grounded.

During the presser, one of the reporters mentioned that historically, teams with a 3-0 lead have a strong chance of winning the Stanley Cup. However, Tkachuk made it clear that the Panthers aren't getting ahead of themselves.

“We don’t look at that stuff,” said Tkachuk. “You guys do. I’m sure a lot of other people do, but we don’t. Come in today, have a nice recovery day and do what you can to get ready for tomorrow.” [H/T NHL.com]

The Panthers forward shared that internally, the team avoids dwelling on statistics and instead concentrates on each game as it comes. He said:

“We’ve done such a good job of having that simple one-game mindset. Win the first period. Win your first few shifts. That’s all you’ve got to do tomorrow. It’s a really calm, chilled and relaxed group today. We’ll use that to our advantage,” he added.

Tkachuk mentioned that the team is staying relaxed while also using the time wisely to ensure they are physically and mentally ready for Saturday.

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Matthew Takchuk opens up on ‘defense-first’ mindset heading into Game 4

Another topic of discussion in the presser was Edmonton's power play struggles, where Tkachuk praised the Panthers' penalty kill unit. Despite facing off against some of the league's top offensive talents, including Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Panthers have managed to stifle Edmonton's power play opportunities.

Matthew Tkachuk attributed that to the team's defensive-first mindset and said that it has been key to neutralizing their opponents' offensive threats.

“It's just a very committed five-man effort out there against those guys,” Tkachuk said. “They're very talented players, and you have to be against those guys if you want to have success. But you know, as many offensive guys as we have on the team, we're a defense-first team, defense-minded first team.”

“And that's against whoever is on the ice. So, I just think it's a big thing for our team to do it collectively as five guys, especially when you have talented guys out there. So, just got to do it again tomorrow,” he added.

Tkachuk also shared his admiration for teammate Vladislav Terasenko. He mentioned watching Terasenko play growing up and expressed his excitement at playing alongside him in the Stanley Cup Final. He also praised goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for his dedication both on and off the ice and how it has earned him respect within the team.

The Panthers will play the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday at Rogers Place, hoping to sweep them in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.