Matthew Tkachuk is doing Tkachuk things again and the Florida Panthers love it

Florida's shootout win in Winnipeg had that playoff feel, tight checks, quick strikes, and a 3 on 3 overtime that was pure track meet.

Those are the nights where a guy like Tkachuk doesn't just play hockey, he starts nudging the whole game off its rails.

He can be quiet on the scoresheet for stretches and still be the loudest player in the building, because every shift comes with a little dare.

Then the moment shows up and suddenly Josh Morrissey is in the middle of a Matthew Tkachuk scene.

By the time Adam Lowry stepped in to greet him, you could feel the bench reactions, Winnipeg knows exactly what kind of problem he is.

That's the thing with Tkachuk, he drags opponents into decisions they don't want to make, take a penalty, take a run, take your eyes off the puck for half a second.

Florida's roster feeds off that edge, especially in close games where one power play, one rebound, or one missed matchup can swing two points.

Paul Maurice has basically said it out loud before, the hands are special, and you notice it even more at ice level.

And as a fan, you love him because the heart rate spikes every time he decides to make it personal.

He's also not just a regular season irritant, his playoff production with Florida backs up the legend.

Over his Panthers postseason run, he's piled up 25-44-69 points in 67 games, that's star impact, not noise.

Against the Jets, you saw the full package, agitation, puck touch, net drives, that knack for making opponents waste energy on him, and he also picked up an assist on the Panthers' lone goal in the game.

South Florida has fully adopted the vibe, the crowd wants skill, sure, but it also wants teeth, and he brings both in the same shift.

Next up is turning that emotion into a repeatable habit, because the standings never care how dramatic the win felt.