Matthew Tkachuk was cautious when addressing the potential outcome of the Florida Panthers reaching the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final. Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final is a must-win for the Carolina Hurricanes if they hope to keep their postseason dreams alive against Brad Marchand’s squad.
The Hurricanes snapped a tough streak in Game 4 by defeating the Panthers 3–0. Goaltender Frederik Andersen was the star of the night, earning his fifth shutout of the playoffs by stopping all 20 shots he faced, keeping Carolina alive in the series and ending their 15-game losing streak in conference finals.
Back home in Raleigh, the Hurricanes will aim to maintain their strong defensive play while seeking greater efficiency on offense to force a Game 6. The Panthers, on the other hand, could close out the series behind Marchand and Tkachuk, who shared an intriguing comment about the team’s playoff future.
Tkachuk’s Cautious Message
“We always prepare for that seventh game, we’ve said it for years. So tonight’s no different but there’s a little extra energy in here tonight — coming on the road with a chance to win a conference championship. This is as good as it gets, so we’re really excited,” Tkachuk said, according to Five Reasons Sports Network.
Matthew Tkachuk of the Panthers
“We always have a ton of belief. It’s our preparation that allows us to have that belief, but we got to go out there and execute it tonight. We got to get back to our game. We have to be physical, we have to be fast. We can’t be looking to break anything open. We’ll earn our opportunities when they’re there, but just be hard,” he declared.
see also
NHL News: Brad Marchand, Matthew Tkachuk’s Panthers wake up to promising sight after awful loss vs Hurricanes
Panthers look to extend their finals streak
If the Panthers win Game 5 against Carolina, they would advance to their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final. Marchand and Tkachuk still have work to do, despite the tough loss of Sam Reinhart due to a lower-body injury.
