Did Matthew Tkachuk gives Bruins bulletin-board material for Game 6? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Florida Panthers are a confident team right now, and a lot of that energy comes from their superstar left wing Matthew Tkachuk.
Tkachuk has been the Panthers’ best player — including a team-leading seven points (four goals, three assists) — in their first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins. The Panthers were facing elimination in Wednesday night’s Game 5 at TD Garden and he scored the winning goal in overtime to extend the series to a Game 6 in Florida on Friday night.
Bruins’ struggles on home ice are troubling as Panthers force Game 6
It was a gutsy win for the Panthers, and Tkachuk doesn’t think it will be their last of the series. That was Tkachuk’s message to his teammates after Game 5.
“Boys, remember this room. We’ll be back here for (Game 7).”
Check out the scene from the visiting locker room at the Garden in the video below:
Should this be viewed as a little bulletin-board material for the Bruins?
One argument would be: Well, what is Tkachuk supposed to say? Of course he’s going to tell his teammates they’ll be back in Boston for Game 7.
That’s true, but it could easily serve as extra motivation for a Bruins team that is superior to the Panthers in many areas.
The last time a player or coach in a series against the Bruins said they would return to the Garden for a Game 7 was John Tortorella in 2019.
It didn’t go well for Tortorella and his Columbus Blue Jackets. They lost Game 6 in their own building as the Bruins advanced to the Eastern Conference Final.
Can the Panthers pull off what the Blue Jackets couldn’t four years ago? We’ll find out soon. Puck drop for Friday’s Game 6 is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
