The Tkachuk brothers are finally getting the setup plenty of people around the Panthers expected to see, and now they’ll do it with Sam Bennett riding shotgun.
Florida is planning to start Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk and Bennett together Monday afternoon in Buffalo when the Panthers face the Sabres at 1 p.m. at KeyBank Arena. It’s a trio coach Paul Maurice had joked about from the start of camp, when he said, “Those three will be in jail before the puck drops,’’ and, true to form, the group wasted little time showing why that line exists.
The idea of pairing Brady Tkachuk with Matthew had obvious appeal after Florida traded for Brady Tkachuk in June. Put him with his brother, then add Bennett - another forward who has built a reputation over the years as one of the NHL’s more penalized players - and you’ve got a line that can tilt toward chaos fast.
Maurice, though, had other plans at first. He wanted to spread things around and see Matthew Tkachuk alongside Sasha Barkov.
The hope was to give a line of Tkachuk, Barkov and Sam Reinhart enough runway to settle in and produce. That never really got the chance to develop, because Barkov was hurt in the second period of Florida’s second game.
The brothers first appeared together Tuesday in Los Angeles, but only briefly and more as a byproduct of line changes than a true setup. On Saturday night, Maurice made it intentional in the third period.
“I know it’s a story,” Maurice said, “but it relates to (all 12 forwards), how it moves the other guys around the bench.”
The on-ice sample was short, and it ended in familiar fashion. Matthew and Brady wound up in the box together at 11:42 of the third after jumping into a scrum and each taking roughing penalties.
”It brought a little juice,’’ Maurice said.
Matthew said after Florida’s 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild that being out there with his younger brother and Bennett “was fun.’’
”I think we got 1 1/2 real shifts,” Tkachuk said. “I thought we had some really good O-zone time on the first shift, drew a penalty. We were in there for a while.”
With that group set to start in Buffalo, Sam Reinhart looks to be sliding back to center on his own line, flanked by Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Lafferty. That gives Maurice a chance to keep the productive third and fourth lines intact, with Lars Eller moving back to the fourth.
The Panthers and Sabres already met in Buffalo last season, when the Sabres won 3-1. The teams will meet again this season on Monday, March 20, in Buffalo, and Nov. 21 and Dec. 30 in Florida.
Florida leads the all-time regular season series 61-48-8, with four ties.
The Panthers visit the Columbus Blue Jackets next Tuesday at 6:15 p.m.
In Other News...
Panthers Get A Key Lineup Boost Before Tough Road Back To Back
Florida is heading into a demanding back-to-back road trip with a little more breathing room than it had after its first regulation loss of the season. The Panthers have been one of the leagues more steady five-on-five teams, and they also laid out their practice lines ahead of upcoming games against Buffalo and Columbus, a useful sign as the schedule tightens and the travel picks up.
Eetu Luostarinens status is the bigger relief for a club that briefly held its breath when he exited the previous game after taking a shot. He took part in practice and is expected to be available, which matters for a lineup that has leaned on its depth and stability early on. Florida opens the trip Monday in Buffalo and then turns right around for Tuesdays meeting in Columbus, so having Luostarinen trending in the right direction is a timely boost. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers-Sabres Took A Sudden Turn When Dahlin Left
Buffalo entered Mondays matinee against Florida already trying to steady a slow start, and the game took an even tougher turn when captain Rasmus Dahlin was forced out. The Sabres defenseman has opened the season with three points in four games, continuing to set the tone from the blue line after a strong prior campaign that helped push Buffalo into the playoffs and landed him third in Norris Trophy voting.
For a Sabres team sitting at 2-3-0 and seventh in the Atlantic Division, losing Dahlin in the middle of a game against one of the leagues more tested teams only adds to the pressure. Buffalo announced after he exited that he was dealing with an upper-body injury, leaving the club to sort through what his absence could mean if the issue lingers beyond this matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Power Play Suddenly Looks Like A Problem They Can't Ignore
The early-season numbers have been hard to ignore for Florida, and the power play is sitting near the top of that list for all the wrong reasons. Through the opening stretch of the 2024-25 season, the Panthers have had trouble turning extra chances into momentum, and coach Paul Maurice has already pointed to broader issues in the teams play, from defensive lapses to a lack of finishing. He has been working through different line combinations in search of something that settles the unit down and makes it more dangerous.
Buffalo comes in with its own shaky power-play start, so this meeting offers a chance for both clubs to find a little traction with the man advantage. For the Panthers, though, the concern is bigger than one matchup. When a team built to control games spends this much time chasing the simplest conversion, it becomes a problem that can spill into every shift, and Florida does not look ready to let that slide much longer. [Read more 🡒]