Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones have the Panthers talking about good company after a 5-2 win over Winnipeg tonight.
Florida wrapped up its third straight victory earlier tonight, and the team's own social account wasted no time pointing at its two most productive passers.
The post is a teaser, and the details are left to the reader. But the production behind it is easy to find.
Tkachuk has 16 assists through 13 games, part of a 20-point start. He has also added four goals along the way.
Jones is the surprise. The defenseman has 14 assists in those same 13 games, and he sits at 15 points with just one goal.
The Panthers asked whether the pair is in good company, and the answer from the standings is that few teammates are producing like this.
Tkachuk has been on this path for a week. The Matthew Tkachuk and Keith Yandle assist record story set the tone, and the club has kept stacking helpers since.
Power play is feeding the Panthers' playmaking duo
A lot of this runs through the man advantage. Tkachuk has 10 power-play assists and a power-play goal, while Jones has nine power-play assists.
That is 19 helpers on the power play between them. Jones has no power-play goals of his own, so he is clearly the facilitator on the blue line, not the shooter.
Tkachuk's night in Winnipeg earlier in the week fits the pattern. The Matthew Tkachuk four-assist game showed how much of the offense he creates for others.
The team numbers show why the production matters. Florida is 8-4-2 with 44 goals for and a +5 goal differential, so the margin is thin and these two are carrying a lot of it.
Paul Maurice has a group that is winning on the road, with a 5-3-2 record away from home. A defenseman who sets up plays at this rate gives the coach a reliable option on the back end.
Jones is a long way from the -140 career rating on his résumé right now. This season he sits at +2, and his playmaking is the reason the Panthers keep trusting him in key spots.
Florida visits Detroit on Monday, November 2, with Tkachuk and Jones both looking to extend what the club is calling good company.
Is Seth Jones the Panthers' most underrated playmaker right now?
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