SUNRISE, Fla. — The forward line composed of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Carter Verhaeghe perfectly embodies the attributes that make the Florida Panthers such a formidable force in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
These three players are relentless on the forecheck. Their offensive talent is top-tier, evident by their standing among the Panthers` leading scorers during this postseason run. They are equally effective defensively, allowing an average of just 1.98 goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 play. Thanks to Tkachuk and Bennett, they also possess a uniquely antagonistic edge, unafraid to initiate contact and stand their ground.
This diverse blend of skills positions them as arguably the most dangerous line currently playing in the playoffs. They could easily function as a team`s primary scoring unit, its shutdown line, or its most challenging irritants.
“It`s a deadly combination, all over the ice,” commented Florida winger Brad Marchand.
While deadly for opponents, it`s a source of enjoyment for Tkachuk.
“It`s fun when we`re getting in on the forecheck and finishing hits and playing in their zone and getting good scoring chances,” he said after the Panthers` 6-2 victory in Game 3 against the Hurricanes, a win that brought them within one game of a potential third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. “I thought the building was electric. I credit my linemates for how they played, getting [the fans] going.”
Through 15 playoff games, this line has controlled 65.4% of shot attempts while on the ice at 5-on-5 and generated 57% of expected goals. The trio averages an impressive 4.6 goals per 60 minutes, and their 70% goals-for percentage ranks third among teams that advanced past the first round of the playoffs.
Since Verhaeghe has moved between different lines during the regular season, the opportunity for a formal name for this specific line hasn`t arisen among fans or teammates. Suggested names circulating have included `The Rat Pack,` the `Elbow Grease Line,` and the `Immunity Line,` often referencing their physical style and knack for avoiding penalties.
“We are kind of a line that can do everything,” Bennett explained. “Chucky likes to hold pucks down low, he likes to slow the game down a little bit. Then, Carter is speeding the game up, he`s using his speed, he`s heavy and fast. Then, I`m kind of a mix of that. It`s just a line that we`ve found has been effective in the playoffs. I love playing with both of those guys.”
Composed of three distinct parts, each player contributes something different to the line`s overall effectiveness.
“The diversity in style is actually a good thing for us,” Florida coach Paul Maurice noted.
Sam Bennett: `Definition of a Playoff Player`
Bennett, 28, arrived in Florida via a trade from Calgary in April 2021. Matthew Tkachuk was still with the Flames at the time and reportedly wasn`t initially pleased about the transaction.
“He`s always had the talent. He`s always had the work ethic. He`s always had the bite, the jam, everything,” Tkachuk said of Bennett. “I think a lot of his success has to do with opportunity. He didn`t get the opportunity in Calgary that he has here. I don`t know why that is.”
What Tkachuk has witnessed from Bennett since joining the Panthers is someone he considers “the definition of a playoff player.” Bennett has accumulated 43 points in 54 games over the last three postseasons, all while embracing a physical style that has, at times, bordered on or crossed the line into illegal or injurious plays.
As Marchand put it: “He`s got a good right hook.”
Bennett appeared to deliver a sucker-punch to Marchand during the Panthers` playoff series victory over the Boston Bruins in 2024. The incident sidelined Marchand for two games, yet Bennett faced no further disciplinary action.
At the trade deadline in 2025, they became teammates.
“I didn`t hold a grudge. Again, I know how this game`s played. I played a similar way,” Marchand stated. “It`s something that we joke about. I can laugh it off. I joke about it all the time. I joke about it more than he does, but I definitely joke about it.”
Bennett, surprisingly, does have a sense of humor. That was something Marchand didn`t anticipate before getting to know him.
“He`s not as serious of a person as I thought he was. When you see him on the ice and you see him kind of around the media, he just seemed like he was quiet and very reserved. Once you get to know him, he`s actually pretty vocal and really funny and a good guy to be around,” Marchand observed. “But when you see him on the ice, he`s so intense. He doesn`t really chirp. You don`t hear him during the game. He`s all business.”
Both Marchand and Coach Maurice lauded Bennett`s speed and shot, but Marchand seemed particularly impressed by his physical intensity.
“He brings a physical aspect to the game that, especially this time of year, you can`t have enough of it,” Marchand said of Bennett. “Those are the guys that make a huge impact on the game, when you have to be aware of them physically on the ice and know where they`re at.”
Marchand, having been on the receiving end, would certainly be aware.
Carter Verhaeghe: `Shows Up in the Big Games`
Verhaeghe, 29, joined the Panthers as a free agent in 2020, fresh off winning a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay the previous season. He has since emerged as one of Florida`s most significant postseason heroes, consistently elevating his game when the regular season concludes. Over the Panthers` last four playoff runs, Verhaeghe has scored 11 game-winning goals, a total unmatched by any other player with six or fewer.
“He`s a guy that really shows up in the big games,” Bennett commented.
A version of this line was also highly effective last season, with Bennett and Tkachuk skating alongside winger Evan Rodrigues, known for his strong analytics. However, Rodrigues doesn`t possess the same offensive firepower as Verhaeghe, who boasts a 0.90 points-per-game average over his last 70 postseason contests.
Last postseason, Verhaeghe split his time between Bennett`s line and skating with captain Aleksander Barkov. Maurice felt comfortable moving Verhaeghe around in the past. This season, however, he struggled to find a consistent opportunity to pair Verhaeghe with Barkov effectively.
“I got it wrong the entire year. The first two years, I thought I was really smart. Every time I changed it, the lines take off,” Maurice admitted. “This year, I was a dumbass.”
Despite the difficulty in sticking with Barkov, Verhaeghe found strong chemistry with Bennett and Tkachuk during the playoffs.
“I think our line works because we all kind of bring a different element to the line. We read off each other really well,” Verhaeghe explained. “Chucky makes really good plays, so smart, so physical. Benny`s the same thing, kind of makes plays so fast up the middle. We just stay on pucks, like to be close together.”
With Bennett and Tkachuk excelling at creating space and making plays, Maurice views Verhaeghe as the player most capable of capitalizing on the scoring chances they generate.
“It`s Carter`s speed and his release, and all of their ability to jump on broken plays,” Maurice said.
Verhaeghe is a familiar name to any NHL fan who has followed the playoffs recently. Bennett is also gaining notoriety through memorable plays – just ask a Toronto Maple Leafs fan about his collision with goaltender Anthony Stolarz – as well as his performance for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off and his upcoming unrestricted free agency, where he is expected to significantly increase his contract`s average annual value.
But neither of them has reached the level of mainstream celebrity that includes being a guest on a national talk show.
Matthew Tkachuk: `He`s a Wonderful Human Being`
Tkachuk is undeniably a superstar. That was evident when the Panthers acquired him in a major trade in 2022 and subsequently signed him to a lucrative eight-year extension.
His superstar status was solidified by his performance in 2023, where he led the Panthers through a surprising first-round upset and deep into the Eastern Conference playoffs before sustaining a broken sternum in the Stanley Cup Final.
It was true last postseason when Tkachuk tallied 22 points in 24 games and famously celebrated by taking the Stanley Cup for a swim. And it was true at the 4 Nations Face-Off, where he and his brother garnered significant attention.
Tkachuk and Bennett have been linemates for multiple seasons, forming a dominant second line behind the team`s top unit centered by Barkov.
“He and Sam have similarities. They`re fearless in how they play. And then they`re exact opposites,” Maurice observed. “But that`s truly how they complement each other.”
Tkachuk`s 14 points in 15 games this postseason tell only a fraction of the story. He has consistently displayed his antagonistic nature both on and off the ice. For example, during a Hurricanes news conference in Raleigh, he repeatedly slammed a ball against a wall nearby, separated only by a curtain. On the ice in Game 3, he took down Carolina`s Sebastian Aho after Aho had hit Panthers forward Sam Reinhart in Game 2.
“I don`t really look at it as intent or intimidation at all. It`s just sticking up for teammates,” said Tkachuk, who received a roughing penalty and a 10-minute misconduct for the play. “We`re a family in there. It could happen to anybody, and there`s probably 20 guys racing to be the guy to stick up for a teammate like that. That`s just how our team`s built. That`s why we`re successful. I don`t think any of us would be thrilled at that play in Game 2.”
Following the game, the Hurricanes expressed frustration about not retaliating immediately, worried that Tkachuk was trying to draw them into taking penalties.
“They`re very good at goading you into penalties,” commented Carolina`s Taylor Hall.
It`s undoubtedly frustrating, but Tkachuk simply has that effect on people. Even his coach.
“I hated Matthew when I was in Winnipeg,” recalled Maurice, who coached the Jets from 2013 to 2022. “And then you meet him and you go, `Oh my God, he`s a wonderful human being.`”
Maurice shared an anecdote from after Game 3, when one of the Panthers invited a young fan battling cancer and his parents to the locker room area. Tkachuk, amidst the team`s postgame celebration, took time to greet and chat with the young fan.
“You need to see that because that`s real,” Maurice added.
ON-ICE PERSONAS can often differ significantly from how individuals behave away from competition. Maurice also highlighted “Benny`s Buddies,” a program Sam Bennett initiated with the Humane Society of Broward County. Every goal Bennett scores raises funds to cover pet adoption fees.
“They`re really, really nice people. Then, the puck drops,” Maurice said of his Panthers players. “They`re hard on guys. They are. And most of that is driven by how they feel about each other. They don`t want to let the other guy down.”
Marchand suggested that hockey players often exhibit a duality. Their actions on the ice shape their public image, media portrayal, and league reputation. However, when sharing a locker room, no longer opponents but teammates like him and Bennett, you encounter a person who contrasts with their on-ice persona.
“I think it`s just this respect we have for each other, understanding that what we do on the ice is our job. We`re competing for the same goal,” Marchand explained. “At the end of the day, you`re willing to do things on the ice that aren`t typical of you as a person off the ice.”
Maurice, in his characteristic style, compared this duality to an unusual scenario.
“Have you ever shotgunned a beer? Have you ever been to church? Would you shotgun a beer if you`re in church? No, and that doesn`t make you a hypocrite,” he quipped. “There`s a context for all things.”
Regardless of the context, Bennett, Tkachuk, and Verhaeghe form one of the NHL`s most compelling trios – a powerful engine driving the Florida Panthers potentially towards another championship.
