Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk hits out at media 'circus' for Maple Leafs' playoff woes - "Feel bad for them"

Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers are off to their third consecutive Eastern Conference Finals.

Despite a 2-0 series deficit in Round 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida showed their championship pedigree and clawed all the way back. Even a disappointing 2-0 shutout loss at home in Game 6 didn't deter them.

The Panthers came into Toronto for Game 7 on Sunday night and dismantled the Maple Leafs. The 6-1 final score doesn't even do it justice for just how dominant of a performance the defending Stanley Cup Champions put on.

While Florida deserves plenty of credit, Toronto is receiving just as much shrapnel for the egg they laid on home ice. Matthew Tkachuk made a surprise appearance on the 'Spittin Chiclets' podcast on Monday morning and was asked about the Maple Leafs' playoff failures.

Spittin' Chiclets shared the clip on X (formerly Twitter).

"I mean, I think that we played well, like it's not all, you know, sometimes you feel bad for them, because, like, they have some unbelievable players and a great team. And I was actually saying this last night to some of the guys, like, if their team was not in, like, Toronto, dealing with all, like, the crazy circus stuff outside of it, like, they'd be, like, an unbelievable team and, like, such a hard team to play. Like, they just have so much to deal with, and I feel bad. I mean, we don't have to deal with that in Florida. I feel like that's what makes me, me, and my team so lucky," Tkachuk said.

"But like, you almost use that against them, you know, like the pressure that these guys have to deal with day in and day out. And like, I wasn't surprised with how they played; like, they had stretches in those games where they played really well. I mean, look at last night, like they were that second half of the first period, like they were unreal, and Bob had to come up huge for us. So they definitely didn't lay an egg at all. Like, they played us well. They took us to game seven," Tkachuk added.

Matthew Tkachuk is in his third season as a Panther on the three-year, $76,000,000 contract signed with Florida in 2022.

Florida beat Toronto despite Matthew Tkachuk being held without a goal

While the Florida Panthers looked like a well-oiled machine taking down the Maple Leafs, they did so without much production from their superstar winger.

Matthew Tkachuk was limited to just four points (four assists) in the seven-game series, though the rest of the team managed to pick up the slack for him. It further demonstrates the depth Florida possesses up and down the lineup.

Tkachuk and the Panthers now move on to Round 3 and face the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 on Tuesday night in Raleigh. The puck drops at 8 p.m. EST at the Lenovo Center.