Two years ago, Tkachuk was so injured in the Panthers’ Stanley Cup Final loss to the Golden Knights that he needed help getting dressed for games. He then assisted in delivering the franchise’s first championship last season, completing the organizational transformation that started when he arrived from Calgary in summer 2022.

So Tkachuk, who missed Florida’s final 25 regular-season games because of an apparent groin injury suffered during the 4 Nations Face-Off, has earned plenty of grace if his game is not in tip-top shape. Although Tkachuk has 17 points in 19 playoff games, he has been less noticeable between the whistles compared to his two previous post-season runs with the Panthers. (He remains a nuisance once the whistle blows, though.)

On Friday, Tkachuk did not record a shot on goal in the Panthers’ 5-4 double-overtime win against the Oilers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final — the sixth time he has failed to do so this spring. He did not have a shot in two of 44 total playoff games in 2023 and 2024.

After scoring 17 goals over the Panthers’ past two playoff appearances, including six game-winners, Tkachuk has five in 19 games. He endured a 10-game drought that stretched from the first round through the start of the third round. It was tied for the fifth-longest of his nine-year career (regular season or playoffs).

Tkachuk’s scoring-chance generation has fallen sharply year-over-year. His 1.37 chances per game rank 103rd out of 215 skaters who have played at least 100 minutes in these playoffs and eighth on the Panthers. Last post-season, Tkachuk finished 22nd out of 193 qualified skaters with 2.63 chances per game. Tkachuk’s average ice time (17:23) is down by more than a minute from last year (18:30), but he remains a fixture on the Panthers’ power play, receiving nearly four minutes per game.

Four of Tkachuk’s five goals have been scored from the inner slot, but he has been credited with only eight shots on net from that area (0.42 per game). Tkachuk averaged 1.05 inner-slot shots across 44 playoff games in the previous two years, scoring 10 goals.

“If it goes in, it goes in. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’ve never cared,” Tkachuk told reporters before the start of the Stanley Cup Final. “Sometimes it’s nice to see it go in, but it is what it is. I’m not (Alex) Ovechkin. They are not always going to go in, but when they do, they feel nice.”

One of Tkachuk’s other calling cards, his physicality, has also been less apparent. The NHL credits Tkachuk with 7.44 hits per 60 minutes — down from 9.73 last post-season. He has three through two Stanley Cup Final games.

Even though Tkachuk’s individual contributions have somewhat diminished, the Panthers have performed well in his minutes, outscoring opponents 15-9 and generating 56.8 per cent of the expected goals at 5-on-5. Tkachuk has been on the ice for three of Florida’s five 5-on-5 goals against Edmonton, screening Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner on defenceman Dmitry Kulikov’s second-period goal Friday.

The Panthers’ impressive scoring depth has picked up the slack for Tkachuk offensively. Eleven different Panthers skaters have at least 10 points, led by forward Sam Bennett, whose 13 goals are a franchise playoff record. (The Oilers, by comparison, can claim seven double-digit scorers — one of whom, Zach Hyman, is injured.)

Tkachuk’s forechecking ability has not waned despite him clearly being less than 100 per cent. His 42 defensive plays in the offensive zone, including 26 blocked passes, are tied with teammate Sam Reinhart for fourth-most among all forwards.

“He’s a guy (who) doesn’t need to score to be effective,” Bennett told reporters. “He’s doing everything on the ice for this team, and when he scores, it’s just an added bonus.”

If the start of this series has taught us anything, it is that the margins between these two teams are paper-thin. The Panthers and Oilers have been tied or within one goal of each other for 99.2 per cent of the total playing time (166:17 of 167:34) through the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final, according to NHL Stats.

Florida has reached this point without a fully powered Tkachuk. But if he can find his game as the series shifts to Amerant Bank Arena, it could make a big difference as the Panthers and Oilers struggle for separation.

“I thought we played two good games,” Tkachuk told reporters after Game 2. “(Friday) was definitely a step better than Game 1. But they’re a great team, we’re a great team. We could’ve been out of here (down) 0-2, we could’ve been out of here (up) 2-0. It’s just crazy how it works. … We’ve got home ice (now), and let’s take advantage of it.”