The Florida Panthers defeated the Winnipeg Jets 5-1 Tuesday at Canada Life Centre, with Matthew Tkachuk recording four assists in the victory. Tkachuk moved into a tie for second in the NHL with 16 assists this season. He also became the third player in Panthers history to register at least 16 assists in a single month.
“His hands are just world class, and they always have been,” head coach Paul Maurice said. Eight of Tkachuk’s 16 assists this season have been primary assists. He also assisted on a goal by his brother, Brady Tkachuk, against Winnipeg.
Multiple four-assist games
Tkachuk’s performance was his second game this season with at least four assists. He previously recorded five assists in Florida’s 7-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 13. That made him the second Florida Panther to post multiple games with at least four assists in a single season.
Tkachuk is in his fifth season with Florida and reached 200 career assists as a Panther in 255 games. That was faster than any player in franchise history and surpassed the previous mark of 369 games set by Keith Yandle. Since joining the Panthers in 2022-23, Tkachuk has recorded 203 assists, 40 more than Aleksander Barkov’s 163 over the same span.
Maurice credits full summer of training
Maurice said Tkachuk benefited from having a full summer of training after not being injured during the previous summer. “He’s the guy maybe the most that benefited most from a summer off,” Maurice said. “It was the first summer in four years [where he wasn’t injured]. I mean, he broke his collarbone after the first year, so he just has never been able to. He’s just rehabbed all summer. He’s never been able to make gains, so now he had a full summer of training.”
Maurice also emphasized Tkachuk’s individual ability. “He’s so gifted with what he does,” Maurice said. The win ended the Panthers’ trip in Winnipeg.
FSB Take
Tkachuk’s four assists gave Florida both a decisive win and several franchise milestones in one night. His 16 assists, eight primary assists and multiple four-assist games show how central his playmaking has been to the Panthers’ offense this season. Reaching 200 career assists in 255 games further establishes the scale of his production since joining Florida.
Source: Original report