Matthew Tkachuk Responds to Florida Fans’ Worries Over Stanley Cup Game 1 Lead

The Edmonton Oilers scraped ice from six different local ice rinks across Canada, where their stars had built the foundations of their hockey careers. Samples from the stadiums in hometowns of stars like Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane, and others arrived at Rogers Place over the weekend under the ‘This is our Ice’ initiative. The goal? To show the Oilers that all of Canada supports them in their quest to dethrone Matthew Tkachuk and Co.

And it worked, because the Edmonton Oilers got off to the start they wanted, beating the defending champions in a historic Stanley Cup Final Game 1 victory. Why historic, you ask? Well, that’s because the game, they became the first Canadian team since 2011 to take the series lead in a Cup final. Talk about making a statement at the very beginning of an epic rematch. So, how did the Cats respond to the fan base’s worries after the stunning OT loss?

Well, it seems alternate captain Matthew Tkachuk didn’t expect anything less from their Stanley Cup rivals. “You’ve got to tip your cap. It was a great play on their third goal to tie it up. Went through a bunch of guys and found the net, you know?” explained the Stanley Cup winner. “In overtime, there were chances both ways. They definitely carried more of the play,” he admitted. Thankfully, the 29-year-old also highlighted what they needed to change.

“Try to get on the forecheck a little bit more; try to get in their zone a little bit more. We’ve been solid playing in that position before, whether we give up a goal or not. So it’s stuff we got to look at and get better,” Matthew Tkachuk told the media. Tkachuk’s teammate, Sam Bennett, also had a similar observation about the Cats failing to capitalize on their strengths.

The Panthers’ center spoke about not taking the back seat against the Oilers. “We’ve been really good all year at not sitting back with the lead, and for whatever reason, we sat back tonight,” said Bennett, who set a franchise record for playoff goals at 12 in Game 1. That being said, Matthew Tkachuk and Co. have hunkered down for another grueling series.

Matthew Tkachuk and the Cats knew this would be a challenge

In fact, Tkachuk discussed what he may have to do to beat the Edmonton Oilers extensively on the Pat McAfee Show. Matthew Tkachuk explained that mental games wouldn’t work on the Oilers because they’re familiar with the Cats. Instead, the defending champions would have to do something they couldn’t do consistently in Game 1, and that’s pressure the Oilers.

“I think you just have to keep sustaining pressure and shots and offense, and continued physicality. Our team’s mindset is just to try to wear them down… Wear them down enough where that Game 7 you could win,” Tkachuk said during the podcast. While the Panthers were unable to execute their plan, they’re prepared to drag this series out just like last year if push comes to shove.

However, the Oilers also feel like a different beast this year. “We have a different mood. Last year, we didn’t know what to expect… The biggest change is we’ve been here before. We know what to expect. We’ve seen this team before. We’re (now) accustomed to it,” coach Kris Knoblauch said about Matthew Tkachuk and the Cats. So it’s safe to say, neither the Oilers nor the Panthers plan to go down easy in this epic rematch.

The post Matthew Tkachuk Responds to Florida Fans’ Worries Over Stanley Cup Game 1 Lead appeared first on EssentiallySports.