Tkachuk on Panthers' 3-0 lead: 'There’s no pressure on us'
Published
With a 3-0 series lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs, history is on the side of the Florida Panthers, and forward Matthew Tkachuk said his team isn't feeling any pressure just one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Final.
Of 201 teams to hold 3-0 leads in NHL history, only four have fallen victim to the reverse sweep and lost in a Game 7. The Panthers, who entered the playoffs as the Eastern Conference's second wild-card team, aren't stressing about becoming the fifth.
"There’s no pressure on us," Tkachuk said Tuesday. "Why play if you can’t enjoy it?"
Tkachuk spoke Tuesday after the Panthers held a brief off-day practice ahead of Game 4 on Wednesday.
“Just get a little workout in, come back tomorrow and be prepared to win a game," Tkachuk said. "It doesn’t matter if it’s Game 1 or if it’s Game 7. We’re a loose group in the sense that we’re just in the moment."
The Panthers erased a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins in the first round, defeating the Presidents' Trophy winners in overtime of Game 7.
Tkachuk said the team has managed to stay loose throughout their playoff run.
“We have a very serious team where guys want to do well, but in a tie game late in the third, we’re enjoying it on the bench -- laughing, smiling, just looking around at the moment that we’re in," he added. "We’re really, really enjoying it and having so much fun."
Coming off a career year in the regular season, Tkachuk has carried over his success to this year's postseason. The 25-year-old has five goals and leads the Panthers with 15 points in 10 playoff games.
With one more win against Toronto, Florida will advance to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 1996.