Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk outlines Oilers' strengths ahead of Stanley Cup final rematch; urges team to adopt 'underdog' mentality

Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers are set for a rematch against the Edmonton Oilers in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals.

The Panthers and Oilers have undoubtedly looked like the two best teams in the world this postseason, on a collision course for another epic finals matchup.

With almost a full week off before the series begins, there will be plenty of interviews and media availabilities in preparation for the dance.

On Friday afternoon, Tkachuk appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and was asked what makes the Oilers such a difficult opponent.

"I'm pretty familiar with them, going back to my time in Calgary and seeing a lot of those players grow, playing against McDavid a ton," Tkachuk said. ... "He's always going to give you a challenge each and every night. ... They're a deep team. They play really hard, both ends of the ice; their goalie is playing incredible right now. I think the thing that's underrated with them is their defense. I mean, they make it hard to get to the net. They block a lot of shots. ...

"They're playing the best hockey of the year so far for them, and it's going to be a battle for us. We're going up there to Edmonton to start. ... We're going to take that underdog mindset and mentality and go up there and try to do what we did last year."

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Matthew Tkachuk has recorded 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 17 games this postseason.

Matthew Tkachuk was right with his words in last year's handshake line

The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup in a hard-fought Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers in 2023-24.

It was an incredible series, and the two teams showed incredible respect following the battle. Matthew Tkachuk happened to be mic'd up, and his embrace with Connor McDavid is quite relevant a year later. Sportsnet shared the clip on X.

"Respect. Hopefully we'll see you next year in it," Tkachuk said.

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The stage is set for Game 1 between the Panthers and Oilers to go down on Wednesday in Edmonton. The puck drops at 8 p.m. EST at Rogers Place.

About the author

Jackson Weber is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with a Bcomm degree in Business and Sport Management from the University of Guelph.

Jackson has grown up as a lifelong Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are his all-time favorite players. Watching the Penguins win the Stanley Cup three times is an experience that Jackson will never forget. Years later, you realize how rare it is to see your favorite team win even once, so three championships were just incredible.

When not watching, playing, or writing about sports, Jackson loves to cook and is passionate about health and nutrition.

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Edited by Jackson Weber