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Tkachuk, TkaChing! Matthew and Brady Lighting It Up for the Florida Panthers
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- Tkachuk, TkaChing! Matthew and Brady Lighting It Up for the Florida Panthers
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Paul Maurice was certainly hesitant to put Matthew and Brady Tkachuk on the same line together when the Florida Panthers season started.
Everyone knew it was inevitable.
If Maurice knew it would look like this , perhaps it would have happened sooner than it did.
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The Tkachuk Brothers, simply put, have been lighting up the scoreboard over the past few weeks.
Matthew Tkachuk is off to the best start of his career, scoring four goals with 20 points through his first 13 games.
That is an average of 1.45 points per game.
"One thing about Matthew,'' Maurice said, "is he's better this year than he's ever been."
In Tuesday night's 5-1 win in Winnipeg, Matthew had four assists which gave him his third multi-point game of the month.
He has been strong in 5-on-5 play, has been terrific on the power play. Matthew has been a big driver of Florida's high-end possession metrics, helping the Panthers keep the puck in the offensive zone — and getting the puck to the net while there.
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Maurice said Tkachuk getting a full summer of offseason work has certainly been beneficial.
During Florida's three deep playoff runs from 2023-25, Tkachuk either had a short summer — or in 2023 and 2025, was injured and needed much of the offseason for rehabilitation or surgery.
This offseason, Tkachuk spent a lot of time off the ice doing Pilates to strengthen his core as well as doing speed work.
It has paid off handsomely.
"He's faster than he's ever been,'' Maurice said. "So he's improved. It's also the first summer in four where he actually got to train, because he was injured on the two others. He rehabbed, but he didn't train.
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"He put a lot of good work in this summer; a little quicker. And in hockey, we're talking about five or six inches. If you can create that, if you can find it, you can make that. These guys can make that play, and that's what we're seeing from him."
Brady Tkachuk got off to a slow start to his season with his new team but is making up for lost time.
After going five games without a single point, Brady finally got on the scoresheet with an assist on a Sam Reinhart goal during a matinee loss in Buffalo.
The following night in Columbus, Brady had the first of two straight hat tricks. Six goals, two games.
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Brady Tkachuk was named the NHL's First Star of the Week after scoring six goals with 10 points in four games.
Since getting on the scoresheet that day in Buffalo, Brady has scored eight goals with six assists.
Combined, Matthew and Brady Tkachuk have 12 goals and 35 points.
That's pretty good.
"I'm just having a blast," Brady told Katie Engleson Tuesday night after getting a goal with two assists, his fourth multi-point game in the past seven. "This has just been so much fun being down here. Just a great group, having the time of my life."
ON DECK: GAME 14
WINNIPEG JETS at FLORIDA PANTHERS
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When: Friday, 7 p.m.
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Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
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Streaming: Panthers+ , ESPN+
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Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM. Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM, NHL App
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Last season: Tied 1-1
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This season (Panthers Lead 1-0) — At Florida: Friday. At Winnipeg: Panthers 5, Jets 1 (Tuesday) .
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All-time regular season series: Thrashers/Jets lead 58-35-9, 5 ties
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Up Next for the Panthers: Monday vs. Detroit Red Wings, 7 p.m.
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