Matthew Tkachuk has won two consecutive Stanley Cups over the past two years. On his Wingmen podcast, he has now shared his best pro tips on how to survive a deep playoff run.
Since his trade to the Florida Panthers in 2022, Tkachuk has skated in 67 playoff games, played in three straight Stanley Cup Finals, and won two of them, in 2024 and 2025.
Matthew Tkachuk’s pro playoff tips
It’s safe to say that Tkachuk knows what it takes to get through long playoff runs. However, this season, Tkachuk and his Panthers missed the playoffs. While giving his body some well-earned rest, he shared a few pro tips on how to survive NHL playoff hockey on the Wingmen podcast.
“Number one: Get in that cold tub in the hotel the night before the game. Get your body going, because it’s not just about what you’re doing in the game—it’s what you’re doing away from the rink to get yourself dialed in. Because it is a war out there. A battle of the ice packs,” Tkachuk said on the podcast.
”Don’t go crazy”
Tkachuk then shared a recommendation on how to preserve energy—in a very Tkachuk way:
“Don’t blow your load in the first ten minutes. Don’t go so crazy that you can’t keep that pace. Play the same way on your first shift of the game as you would in the third overtime. Have that mindset.”
He then followed up with a tip that isn’t always easy to live by—especially if you’re named Matthew Tkachuk:
“Stay out of the box. Because special teams can win or lose a series.”
”A must-do”
The fourth and final tip is about taking care of your goaltenders:
“I’m throwing in a fourth must-do: Take care of your goalies on and off the ice. A hot goalie could take you all the way, baby. Players think warm-ups are for them. On-ice warm-ups have never been about the players—it’s about the goalie. Don’t just be in the corner stickhandling and doing your own thing. Get out there and shoot pucks for these guys,” Tkachuk said.
You can watch the video below.
