The Florida Panthers picked up a hard-fought 5-4 victory in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night, giving them yet another victory on the road in what has been a recurring theme throughout the postseason. After the game, star winger Matthew Tkachuk kept it real when discussing the Panthers success away from home during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Florida has spent a lot of time on the road this postseason, as they have been the lower seed in each of their four series. That hasn’t really mattered, though, because the Panthers have now posted a 9-3 record in away games during these playoffs. When asked about his team’s success away from the comforts of Amerant Bank Arena, Tkachuk offered a simple response.
“We have no choice,’’ Tkachuk said. “We knew we were going to be on the road for the rest of it. We forced ourselves (into) it. … We feel comfortable on the road. It’s a simple game. It’s a hard game. It’s an adversity-type of game, an adversity-type of atmosphere. We’ve said it a bunch. It’s that us against the world mindset, but you really feel it especially being down in a series. Your back’s not necessarily against the wall, but you treat it as a big-time must-win in a hostile environment, and I feel like that’s when we’re at our best. So, hopefully we can use that to our advantage.”
Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers looking to take care of business at home
Winning in enemy territory is much easier said than done in the postseason, but the Panthers have become pros at it during their recent run that has seen them make it to the Stanley Cup Final three years in a row. Now, they have earned home-ice advantage for the remainder of this series, meaning that if they simply take care of business in front of their fans, they will raise the Cup for the second year in a row.
Of course, it won’t be that easy, and it’s worth noting that the Panthers have just a 4-3 record on home ice in these playoffs. Beyond that, taking down a feisty Edmonton team that is looking for revenge after Florida beat them in the Final last season in seven games is going to be a tall task. Tkachuk and company have the inside track now, though, and they will look to take the series lead when they return to action on Monday, June 9 at 8 p.m. ET for Game 3.
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