Matthew Tkachuk has a theory about his six-game point streak, during which the Florida Panthers forward has five goals and 10 assists.
“Sometimes the puck finds you,” Tkachuk said.
Tkachuk has been making it look that simple as of late as the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers have earned points in six consecutive games (5-0-1) entering a Tuesday road matchup against the Seattle Kraken.
Tkachuk registered multiple points in each of his past four games.
“His hands are just on fire right now, he has done some great things with the puck,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said of Tkachuk. “There are other parts of his game that drive us. He has been on a pretty good heater but has been really good his past six.”
Tkachuk scored twice and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves Saturday in Florida’s 3-1 victory against the visiting San Jose Sharks. The win was the 111th for Maurice with the Panthers, passing Jacques Martin for the franchise record.
“It was pretty much a complete game for us,” said captain Aleksander Barkov, who scored Florida’s other goal. “I think we did the right things. … Whenever they got their chances, (Bobrovsky) was there for us and kept us in the game. It was a good game by us.”
Tuesday will mark the opener of a five-game trip for the Atlantic Division-leading Panthers, who will also make stops in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Minnesota.
The Kraken return home after going 3-1-0 on a road swing to Carolina, New Jersey and New York (to face both the Islanders and Rangers).
Seattle beat the Rangers 7-5 on Sunday as Oliver Bjorkstrand had two goals and two assists.
Eeli Tolvanen had a goal and two assists and Shane Wright added one of each for Seattle, with Chandler Stephenson and Matty Beniers contributing two assists apiece. Philipp Grubauer, getting the start in goal because Joey Daccord was dealing with an illness, made 32 saves to win for the first time in his past seven decisions dating to October.
“You’re always trying to find ways to get confidence,” Bjorkstrand said. “We’re playing some good teams, so winning three of four is a pretty good road trip. We definitely feel good about ourselves, but we can’t be too satisfied. We still have a lot of work to do. … We want to go home and keep going in that direction.”
The Kraken’s third line of Bjorkstrand, Wright and Tolvanen combined for nine points.
“I think we’ve been able to gain some chemistry,” Bjorkstrand said. “We’ve done that for some games now, so it’s just building on it. I think we’re getting really comfortable with where the pucks are going and where other guys are going to be. … A lot of good stuff.”
The Kraken scored three goals in a span of 5:18 late in the second period to take a 4-3 advantage.
“When we’re at our best, we’re playing fast, physical, and simple,” Kraken forward Brandon Tanev said. “Everyone’s on the same page. Those things all add up in a 60-minute game.”
–Field Level Media