Matthew Tkachuk isn't done poking the bear.
The Florida Panthers superstar forward, who led his team on a surprise run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final with a dominant postseason, still has the Boston Bruins on his mind entering the 2023-24 NHL season.
Tkachuk and the Panthers eliminated the B's from the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs in stunning fashion with an overtime win in Game 7 at TD Garden last April. The Bruins set league records for the most wins and most points by a team in regular season history, but their playoff run lasted just seven games.
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The NHL Player Media Tour was held near Las Vegas last week, and ESPN's Greg Wyshynski asked several players which team or player they're most excited to watch this coming season.
Tkachuk's answer won't surprise you.
"I'm excited to see what Boston does after their season last year, how they follow that one up." he told ESPN.
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Tkachuk quickly became the No. 1 villain for hockey fans in Boston with his performance in that Round 1 series. Not only did he instigate and toe the line between dirty and playing hard, he lit up the scoresheet with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in seven playoff games against the Bruins.
Bruins fans' dislike of Tkachuk likely will linger for a while.
The Panthers' first of two regular season matchups in Boston this season is Wednesday, Nov. 22. You can bet Tkachuk will hear plenty of boos from the Garden crowd that night, and knowing him, he'll love every second of it.