Matthew Tkachuk, a forward for the Florida Panthers, has joined others from his team in speaking favorably about the Toronto Maple Leafs following their recent Game 7 victory.
After fellow Panther Brad Marchand and coach Paul Maurice publicly defended the Maple Leafs on Sunday, suggesting they face excessive criticism for their playoff track record, Tkachuk expanded on this perspective during an appearance on the Spittin` Chiclets podcast on Monday.
“Sometimes you feel a little bad for them because they have some unbelievable players and a great team,” Tkachuk commented. He added, “I was literally saying this to some of the guys last night. If that team wasn`t located in Toronto, having to handle all the wild external `circus stuff,` they would be an amazing team and incredibly tough to play against.”
Tkachuk highlighted the unique challenges faced by the Toronto team. “They have so much pressure to deal with,” he continued. “I feel fortunate that we don`t have that in Florida. I think that`s a major advantage for me and my team. You can almost use that situation to your benefit.”
Tristan Blackwood