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Matthew Tkachuk Sends a Clear Message Following Altercation with Sebastian Aho for Hit on Reinhart

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated May 25, 2025 1:21 PM ET

The Florida Panthers are rolling to the Stanley Cup Finals, and Matthew Tkachuk's reaction to the Sebastian Aho hit may just be the biggest reason why.

Despite all of the questionable plays throughout this Eastern Conference Finals, the Florida Panthers have continued to dominate, and now find themselves just one game from the Stanley Cup Finals.

They've done this despite Sebastian Aho's dirty hit on Sam Reinhart, a play that cost Reinhart the chance to play in Game 3, with the veteran considered day-to-day moving forward in this series.

The play was incredibly dirty and unnecessary, and unsurprisingly, the Panthers came out for revenge in Game 3, with veteran Matthew Tkachuk clearly targeting Aho for the disgusting play in Game 2.

While sitting in the penalty box, Tkachuk was laser focused on Aho, as he could have cost Tkachuk's key teammate the rest of the post-season by targeting his knee, showing just how locked in this Panthers team are.

Following the 6-2 victory in Game 3 that gives them a 3-0 lead, Tkachuk addressed going after Aho, noting that anyone on this team would have done it, showing just how tight knit they are both on and off the ice.

'It's just sticking up for teammates. We're a family in there. It could happen to anybody. There's probably 20 guys racing to be the guy to stick up for a teammate like that.'

It's that type of close bond that has allowed this team to reach back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, with a third straight just a game away, and given the way they dominated Game 3 both physically and on the scoreboard, it shows that if you mess with the Panthers, they're ready to come back at you just as hard.

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

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