George Richards, FHN Publisher
SUNRISE — With only three goals in his first 20 games this season, Matthew Tkachuk says no wants him to get things rolling more than he does.
Tkachuk was a finalist for the Hart Trophy which goes to the league MVP last season but has struggled — a bit out — coming out of the gate in this one.
On Monday night, Tkachuk and the Panthers will be in Ottawa playing against younger brother Brady with a bunch of family in the building.
Sounds like as good a time as any to get back on track.
“I have never had a start like this to my career where offensively, things just aren’t clicking right now,” Tkachuk told Florida Hockey Now on Sunday morning.
“It has to turn for me at some point. Hopefully, playing against my brother and playing in front of family gets me going.’’
The Tkachuk clan gathered in Ottawa with the family all planning to get together on Sunday night.
“I always look forward to that,’’ Matthew said.
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Games between these two has always been intense, but now that Matthew and Brady play for divisional rivals, the stakes are much higher.
Remember, it was after Florida’s 5-2 loss in Ottawa back in March in which Keith Tkachuk went on a Toronto radio station and ripped his son’s Panthers, calling them a “soft team getting everything they deserve right now.”
The Panthers and Alex Lyon answered by going on a six-game heater to slide into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.
“It seems like every time I have gone to Ottawa, we have gotten our ass kicked,’’ Matthew Tkachuk said. “And that’s going back to my Calgary days. We do better against them at home, but playing in Ottawa is tough. They are going to be rested and ready. Hopefully we can win this one in Ottawa.”
Matthew comes into tonight’s game without a point in his past five games.
Even though he is off to a slow start, he is ranked third on the team in scoring thanks to his 14 assists which puts him close to a point-per-game clip.
The Panthers are in second place in the Atlantic Division — and that’s all Tkachuk cares about.
“Hey, we’re in a playoff spot right now and I am very lucky to be surrounded by so much talent,” he said. “That has allowed us to have success as a team even though a few of us haven’t shown up offensively.
“Everyone says my defense is there and I think I have gotten a lot better in that. But I think the best defense is a good offense. I just need the puck more, play with the puck in their zone more. I have had so many chances, I just have not been burying them.
“It starts in practice and that’s what I work on. Hopefully it translates. I have never been through a 20-game stretch like this, but I am working and working on it. I am simplifying things. The guys have been carrying me and I am thankful for that.’’
Florida’s second line, of which Tkachuk is a huge part of, has struggled a bit of late but coach Paul Maurice said he is not worried.
Aside from Sam Reinhart leading the team in goals and points, Maurice said he does not really know where the rest of his players rank when it comes to individual stats.
“I am only concerned about the overall team game. I don’t care who scores,” Maurice said. “I know Sam is in the lead but I don’t know where anyone else sits. Because I don’t look at it. It does not tell me where our team is.
“It’s not important to the team. If Matthew breaks 100 points, fine; if he gets 75, fine. The only thing that matters is wins and losses and style of play. We’re ahead of where we were last year, so I am fine where we’re at.”
The Panthers are coming off a couple of tough losses as they did not look real good in the third period of Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to the Bruins and were lethargic in a 3-0 loss on Friday to the Jets.
With three divisional games coming up on this eastern Canadian road trip, the Panthers are focused on turning things around.
“We saw last year that we both needed to win to get in and it was one of the most intense games we played,” Tkackuk said.
“Me and Brady, we really do not face each other on the ice — Brady has the tough job of playing against Barkov — but when it comes down to it, we need these points. Both teams want to make the playoffs so much. Brady and the Sens, they really want this.”