Panthers’ Tkachuk sets tone for rest of Eastern Conference final; Zito named finalist for GM of the Year

Before putting the Panthers ahead 1-0 with the first goal of the Eastern Conference finals, Florida star Matthew Tkachuk delivered a message for the rest of the series, intentionally or not.

The standout forward delivered a huge, open-ice hit on Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck, helping get the Panthers going. A few minutes later, Tkachuk gave the Panthers the only goal they would need in their 3-0 win in Game 1 on Wednesday night. If Florida has its way, that sequence will also set the tone for the rest of the series, which continues with Game 2 on Friday night at 8 p.m. in New York.

“I think it started with his big hit in the first, and then the big goal,” Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said. “It definitely got us going. It took a lot of momentum out of their sails. I think any time you’re on the road and you can get the first goal, I think you take the crowd out of it a little bit and we like playing with the lead, and it lets us settle down into our game.”

Said Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov: “He’s a leader. He’s a true leader of this team, and he does everything that he can. Today was a good example of that. He set the tone, physically, and made some plays and did whatever he does at his best. We just follow his lead.”

Tkachuk’s goal was not complicated. He got a pass from defenseman Gustav Forsling and he fired it past Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin from the point.

The simplicity of the goal was the key, Panthers coach Paul Maurice said.

“It was smart because it was shot off the rush instead of trying to wait for more or find more,” Maurice said. “Sometimes it’s just the simplicity we need in our game to set a bit of a tone. Then we got away from it, so after that we had three pucks at the offensive line that we turned over — it’s not even a turnover, it’s a decision that didn’t work, necessarily. What he did tonight is righted our team back to the simple parts of our game.”

Maurice praised Tkachuk’s ability to do the “simple” things, which become key in the postseason.

“There wasn’t a lot of creativity in his game,” Maurice said. “That’s not a bad thing. Most of his special creativity happens in a three-foot area around him with his wrists and his hands, and you go, ‘How the hell did he do that? How did he tip that puck?’ But it’s playoff hockey. It’s happening so fast out there. There’s not a lot of room to create, and he didn’t try to push that envelope. I thought that was very good of him, as a leader especially.”

Tkachuk quickly became a fan favorite in just his first year with the Panthers due to his postseason heroics last year. But those goals were in short supply in the second round vs. Boston. The star forward had just one goal and four assists in the Panthers’ six-game series against the Bruins, but he did not feel any pressure to start hitting the back of the net.

“I don’t put any pressure on myself to score or produce offense,” Tkachuk said. “I guess that’s part of my game, a big part of my game, but at the end of the day, it’s not about myself here. There’s a way bigger goal ahead. Guys on our team that didn’t score tonight were some of our best players. It could be somebody different each and every right, but there is so much buy-in from everybody that nobody cares who’s producing. … At the end of the day, we’re here for wins.”

But Tkachuck got going again on Wednesday, getting his first goal and an assist on Sam Bennett’s open-net goal late in the third period to seal the victory.

“It’s more important to get the first win than the first goal, but with that being said, to be able to take the crowd out of it a little bit early is huge,” Tkachuk said. “They’re unbelievable fans here and really loud and make it a very fun building to play in … Getting the first goal, playing with the lead, is a huge thing, especially in the playoffs.”

Zito named finalist for GM of the Year

The Panthers are seeing success on the ice, and a lot of that can be attributed to general manager Bill Zito. The Florida executive was recognized for his team-building and was named a finalist for this year’s Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award.

Zito has been a finalist for the award in three of his first four years with the Panthers, becoming the first GM to earn that distinction. The other finalists are Jim Nill (Dallas Stars) and Patrik Allvin (Vancouver Canucks).

Florida has amassed 403 points in Zito’s four seasons, earning a 189-88-25 regular-season record.