Breaking: Rangers Shouldn't Take Matthew Tkachuk Lightly

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Joshua Deeds
May 18, 2024 (2:50 PM)

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The Florida Panthers and New York Rangers will match-up on May 22nd, and the Rangers will have to work on shutting down one Panthers player.

Matthew Tkachuk, whom the Rangers shouldn't take lightly when the series begins.

Tkachuk is a one-man army, who likes to hit his enemies and set up scoring plays for his teammates.

"Matthew Tkachuk has an incredible array of unique skills," Hockey News editor in chief Ryan Kennedy wrote in THN's Yearbook. "But perhaps the greatest is his ability to elicit a reaction from every single thing he does on the ice."

While the Rangers have someone similar on the team, in Chris Kreider it will be important to shut down Tkachuk.

"Mat's energy, his compete, his will to want to win and be successful, guys just followed him right from the start," is how teammate Sam Bennett described Tkachuk to Ryan Kennedy.

Keith Tkachuk's son has been a part of the reason for the Panthers' success in the last two post-seasons, albeit helping push the Panthers to a 54-24-6 record, with 110 points.

Not to mention, reaching the third round of the playoffs this season.

Tkachuk is also deadly, leading the team in scoring during the playoffs with 14 points(4 G, 10 A) seventh best in the playoffs according to THN's Ryan Kennedy.

"Mat's energy, his compete, his will to want to win and be successful, guys just followed him right from the start," is how teammate Sam Bennett described Tkachuk to Ryan Kennedy.

Adam Fox being 8th in playoff scoring behind Tkachuk, explains how neck and neck both teams are in the playoffs.

Tkachuk was part of the team's push to the Stanley Cup playoffs until he was taken out of the lineup with a broken sternum.

He would forego all common sense of healing and still play in game 4 of the series, and of course uplift his teammates. Because Matthew Tkachuk is a team player, especially when it comes to promoting someone like Aleksander Barkov.

"He's the best player in the world," says Tkachuk. "I don't have words for what he's done for this team."

While Chris Kreider is more the strong-silent type of player whose actions resonate on the ice, Tkachuk is far more brash and loud. But both player's style of play is similar, being in front of the net and antagonizing their opponents.

The Rangers need to be on their A-game when it comes to Matthew Tkachuk.

Source: The Hockey News
Attention: Rangers, Don't Get In This Man's Way; Or Else!