Keith Tkachuk Addresses State of Panthers & Senators

Keith Tkachuk, former long-time NHLer and father of both Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk, had some good and not so kind things to say about each of the teams his sons play for as they fight to get into the playoffs. This isn't necessarily a criticism of the way one of his sons plays, but the team as a whole and why they are where they are.

Keith said, "This is do or die for the Panthers right now...they're a soft team and they're getting everything they deserve right now...they should be a lot better than they are showing right now." The Panthers attempted to get tougher and harder to play against when they made the trade to acquire Matthew from the Calgary Flames and gave up Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. Though Matthew has brought with him an elite level of play combined with the grittiness the team needs and didn't have in the playoffs last season, the majority of the rest of the team hasn't followed.

Keith also added, "Instead of trying to get autographs with Matthews and Marner, they should probably check a little bit harder." The Panthers did end up winning this game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but what he's saying is in general. The team needs to already be in a playoff mentality if they want to get to the playoffs. They are one point back of the Pittsburgh Penguins with one more game played. There isn't any room for error or distractions at this point.

In comparison to the Senators, Keith stated that, "I know I sound like a frustrated person, but every time I go to watch Ottawa, they might not be the most talented team, but they're always going to play hard...maybe Florida should take a page out of their book." The Senators are right behind the Panthers, but their playoff hopes are slim at this point. But in terms of the chances if either of the teams were to get into the playoffs, the Senators would put up a better fight.