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Matthew Tkachuk Breaks Silence on What Was Said After His Dangerous Hit on Guentzel

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated May 2, 2025 8:12 PM ET

Matthew Tkachuk played another great series against Tampa Bay, and that included a late hit on Jake Guentzel, with Tkachuk revealing nothing was said after it despite the criticism from fans and analysts.

The Battle of Florida in 2025 certainly had plenty of massive moments whether that be flurry's of goals, massive, illegal hits or huge saves, but in the end, it was the Florida Panthers that came away winners 4-1 in the series.

While it wasn't the most talked about hit in the series, Matthew Tkachuk's late hit on Jake Guentzel certainly raised plenty of eyebrows, with many expecting retaliation on the star forward for his late hit.

After the series concluded, Tkachuk made a surprise appearance on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast, and he was asked by Paul Bissonnette if anything was said to him on the ice after the play.

Surprisingly, he reveals that nothing was said to him in that game or in the series, and given how the Panthers reacted to the hit on Aleksander Barkov by Brandon Hagel, it shows a clear difference in these two teams, and why one came out on top and the other didn't.

This isn't the first time that Tkachuk has played on the edge in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and while that usually comes with retaliation, it appears as though Tampa Bay weren't interested in protecting their teammate.

Ultimately, it's the Panthers that are moving on to the second round instead of the Lightning, and while the team not standing up for a star forward like Guentzel isn't the entire reason for that, it shows a clear difference in the two teams as one moves on to success and the other has an early off-season.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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