The Rat King

Around this time last year, the Florida Panthers seemed to be at a crossroads. After posting the best regular season record in the NHL, they were swept in the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now, a year later, the Panthers are in the Stanley Cup Final, and Matthew Tkachuk is a big reason why. Today, we look at how Tkachuk — a guy who gets under his opponent's skin, and then silences them with huge goals — became both the hero, and the anti-hero, that Florida needed. Plus, why the man affectionately called “The Rat King” seemingly fits right in with the Panthers.

Guest: Sean Gentille, The Athletic

Read his full stories about Matthew Tkachuk here and here

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