As Barkov makes loud playoff statement, Tkachuk’s Panthers contributions are coming quietly

It doesn’t take much for Bill Zito to find the common ground about where the Florida Panthers’ success on the ice stems from.

“It starts at the top with Matthew and Sasha and trickles down,” the Panthers general manager and president of hockey operations said. “It’s a shared appreciation and admiration. I don’t think either one of them takes the good fortune that they enjoy individually for granted. Their sincere concern for the group is what sets them apart, what makes them special.”

Bill Zito epitomizes the Panthers’ ‘no ego’ mentality — and has them looking like contenders

“Matthew” is Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers’ brash, physical, edgy superstar winger. “Sasha” is Aleksander Barkov, the Panthers’ quiet, lead-by-example captain who regularly comes up as one of the NHL’s most underrated players.

At least, those are their usual roles on this team. Through the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs, it has been Barkov’s game getting praise, with his stellar two-way play and timely key moments ushering him to center stage. And it has been Tkachuk who’s production has come relatively quietly — or at least as quietly as it can for a player of Tkachuk’s stature.

And here’s the thing: They’re both perfectly fine with the role reversal. They’d be fine, too, if neither was producing but the team was winning. That’s how this Panthers team is built. That’s how this Panthers team has found its way back to the Eastern Conference final for a second consecutive season, with the best-of-7 series against the New York Rangers starting Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

“I think that’s the mind-set of everybody in our lineup. It doesn’t matter who’s scoring the goals, who’s making the plays, who’s doing the hits, who’s blocking the shots,” Tkachuk said. “Everybody’s got to chip in some way. It can be somebody different each and every night, but you have to find a way to positively impact your team.”

Tkachuk has had to adapt to that mentality this season, especially after all of his heroics a year ago.

During the Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, Tkachuk was at the center of so many of the team’s biggest moments. He had their rallying cry in Round 1 against the Boston Bruins (“Boys, remember this room. We’ll be back here for seven.”), three overtime winners (including the quadruple overtime dagger to start the Eastern Conference final that year against Carolina) and seemingly was in the right place at the right time.

It’s against that backdrop that one might say Tkachuk hasn’t lived up to his postseason hype he created a year ago despite the fact that he leads the team with 14 points (six goals, eight assists) through the first two rounds. Only one of those goals — his first of the playoffs in Game 1 against Tampa Bay — was a game-winning goal, and even that goal was an empty-netter.

Tkachuk only scored one goal against Boston, but the Panthers still managed to dispatch the Bruins in six games.

“The last series was not a ton of goal scoring and was more of the playmaking, more of the physicality,” said Tkachuk, who tallied 88 points (26 goals, 62 assists) this year after hitting 109 (40 goals, 69 assists) last season. “We’ll see what this round holds for myself and the team, but whatever I can for provide to be a positive impact for the team. It’s a whatever-it-takes type of mindset for us. It starts with Barky and myself leading the way and playing the right way and ultimately just showing the guys that we’re gonna do whatever it takes.”

But are the Panthers concerned? Not one bit.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Tkachuk has been “outstanding” for the Panthers during the playoffs. He looks to how Tkachuk handled the early portion of the season when his point production was low but he managed to still impact the game as another example of what’s happening now.

“He had a long stretch without putting up the points that maybe we would have expected, but his game was better,” Maurice said. “He was more disciplined. He’s matured with this group over two years. I would never bet against him coming up with some heroics, but it’s certainly not the only thing we have to expect now with him.”

Barkov, meanwhile, is second to Tkachuk with 13 points in the playoffs and his five goals through two postseason series are tied for second on the team. Of Barkov’s five goals, three have been game winners — including the deciding goal in their series-clinching win against Tampa Bay and the game-winners in Games 2 and 4 against Boston.

This is in addition to his stellar defense that won him his second Selke Trophy in four years.

But Barkov, not one to bask in his success, will quickly deflect any praise showered his way.

When asked earlier this week what it meant to win a second Selke, he said it was “amazing” and he will “never take anything for granted.”

But...

“I’m playing on a really good team in a really good organization,” Barkov said. “Things are done right here. Obviously, systems help a lot. And without the players I play with, nothing would be possible.”

Barkov and Tkachuk are in sync on that thought process. And from there, it trickles down to the rest of the team.

“If you look around the room, Barkov — the captain of the team — is the most unselfish player I’ve ever played with. Chucky is the same way,” Panthers forward Nick Cousins said. “When you have guys like that, it kind of sets the culture for the room.”