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Matthew Tkachuk Erupts on the Bench in Wild Reaction to Brad Marchand

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Jack Sutherland | Last updated Jun 15, 2025 5:31 PM ET

Panthers assistant captain Matthew Tkachuk erupted in a wild outburst on the bench after teammate Brad Marchand scored a spectacular goal in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Florida Panthers are a single win away from a 2nd straight Stanley Cup, and they largely have Brad Marchand to thank for it.

He scored twice in Saturday evening's 's 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers, including a spectacular goal in the 3rd period that gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead.

His 3rd period goal drew quite the reaction from teammate Matthew Tkachuk, who had scored a pair of goals in his own right during the Game 4 OT loss on Thursday.

He leaped up and down on the bench and was caught on the microphones positioned nearby:

Oh my God! Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!

Later on, Marchand himself would say that he wasn't quite sure how he even pulled it off.

It started with a great stick at our line from [Eetu Luostarinen], and then I just tried to get inside and get a puck on net. I don't really, to be honest, know what happened. I haven't seen a replay. It just found its way in.

Coach Paul Maurice, who had coached against Marchand several times in his career, remains in awe of what he's able to do in the small areas of the ice.

I didn't fully appreciate the small-area things that he can do, and that's the most difficult to do. It's not the rink-wide pass on the tape that you get excited about, but what he can do under duress in a small area is world class. It's as good as I've seen.

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

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