Matthew Tkachuk is not afraid of the New York spotlight and is relishing at the opportunity to play the Rangers in these playoffs.
The stage is set for the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers to face off in the Eastern Conference Final.
This heavyweight matchup consists of a ton of star players including Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Igor Shesterkin, Sergei Bobrovsky and Aleksander Barkov.
There may be no bigger superstar and larger than life personality than that of Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk.
Following Florida’s second round series victory over the Boston Bruins on Friday night, Tkachuk opened up on how special it is for him personally to take on the Rangers in the playoffs.
“It’s playoff hockey in New York,” Tkachuk said. “It’s a dream. MSG on the road is my favorite rink to play in, just because of the history. It’s a great city, and they love their sports. It’s going to be such a great atmosphere. Conference Final at MSG? That’s just so cool. We’re excited to start that on Wednesday.”
Through 11 playoff games this year, the 26-year-old has four goals, 10 assists and 14 points while averaging 19:04 minutes of icetime.
Tkachuk plays with passion and grit as he is just made for postseason hockey, so the Rangers will have to match the same energy that Florida’s superstar brings to the table each and every night.
It’s going to be a tough and hard-nosed series for the Rangers. Tkachuk seems to be fully embracing the New York spotlight and the Rangers need to ensure he doesn't steal the show at Madison Square Garden.