"Good thing his brother wasn't on the ice": NHL fans react to analyst's take on Matthew Tkachuk's empty-net goal

Analyst Jeff Marek gave his take on Florida Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk's empty-net goal in the absence of any retaliation from the opposing team on X. His comments sparked a flurry of reactions from NHL fans.

"Good thing his brother wasn't on the ice eh," one fan sarcastically remarked through their tweet.

"must have a copy of those unwritten rules that outline the proper shot speed for ENG," another fan humorously suggested through their tweet.

"Hmmmm maybe because there was still time on the clock?" A more pragmatic fan pointed out through their tweet.

"lmaooooo Jeff gettin a Leafs shot in," one fan tweeted, injecting a bit of rivalry into the discussion.

In a tongue-in-cheek manner, another fan joked about the Tampa Bay Lightning's reaction, or lack thereof, to Tkachuk's goal.

"The Tampa Bay Lightning have been fined 5000 dollars, the maximum allowable, for not overreacting in a ungentlemanly hockey way to an empty net goal." the fan tweeted

"He pushed that puck pretty gently to be fair" Observing the gentleness of Tkachuk's shot, one fan tweeted.

Some fans took a dig at the Lightning's early exit from the playoffs.

"I hear the golf courses are great in Tampa this time of year," another fan tweeted.

"It's a hockey miracle!" Amidst the banter," one fan tweeted, celebrating Matthew Tkachuk's goal.

"This Lightning team doesn’t have the jam anyways," A fan tweeted.

Matthew Tkachuk leads Panthers to victory with two goals in Game 3 against Lightning

In Game 3 against the Lightning, Matthew Tkachuk netted two goals on five shots, contributing to the Florida Panthers' 5-3 victory.

The 26-year-old winger opened and closed the scoring for his team. His first goal came midway through the first period, as he beat Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning's goaltender. He later sealed the win with an empty-net goal late in the third period.

Tkachuk now boasts three goals and five points in the series, with the Panthers commanding a 3-0 lead. His empty-net goal made him the first player in franchise history to record three multi-goal games in the playoffs.

The Panthers are set for a potential series sweep as they head back to Tampa Bay for Game 4.