Leafs $5,000,000 goalie takes veil dig at Tkachuk brothers ahead of facing Matthew Tkachuk led Panthers in Round 2

The Toronto Maple Leafs got through Brady Tkachuk in Round 1, and now comes Matthew Tkachuk in Round 2.

After taking down the Ottawa Senators in six games to win the Battle of Ontario, Toronto is preparing for its toughest test yet against the Florida Panthers in the second round.

While a lot will look different from the first round, one thing that won't change is having to deal with a Tkachuk. Anthony Stolarz knows a thing or two about Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers, having been a part of their 2024 championship run.

The Maple Leafs' netminder provided a funny line when asked about going up against another Tkachuk brother in Round 2. Team reporter Nick Barden shared Stolarz's comments on X (formerly Twitter).

"We saw one Tkachuk in round one, and you get another one in round two," Stolarz said.

Anthony Stolarz has had a tremendous debut season as a Maple Leaf, putting up a 21-8-3 record to go with a 2.14 goals against average, .926 save percentage, and four shutouts.

The 31-year-old signed a two-year, $5,000,000 contract in Toronto as a UFA in the 2024 offseason, which looks to be a bargain for general manager Brad Treliving.

Matthew Tkachuk has not been fully practicing in recent days

Matthew Tkachuk didn't practice with the team on Sunday, raising some concerns about his previous injury still lingering.

However, head coach Paul Maurice put an end to those worries during his media availability after practice. Panthers reporter Jameson Olive shared his update on X (formerly Twitter).

"All by design. He had a heavy day yesterday. Get some of that conditioning and strength back. He's in that not-every-second-day rotation now," Maurice said.

Florida will need Matthew Tkachuk at as close to full health as possible to take down the Atlantic Division-winning Toronto Maple Leafs.

The 27-year-old registered 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in just 52 games played during the 2024-25 regular season. He's added five points (three goals, two assists) in five games thus far to begin the postseason.

He and the Panthers will be in Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs in Game 1 of their second-round series on Monday night. The puck drops at 8 p.m. EST at Scotiabank Arena.