“It was tough not knowing after Game 6 against Dallas last year whether I was even going to be able to play at all in the final.” This was what the Oilers’ veteran star left winger Evander Kane said as he recalled last postseason. Despite being injured, he had powered through the playoffs but couldn’t last more than two games in the finals thanks to a particularly painful core injury. Well, this time, Kane is different.  He is healthy now and is thoroughly enjoying himself. And nothing is going to change that. Not even Matthew Tkachuk‘s mind games.

Sportsnet Gene Principe took to X on June 5 to share Kane’s response when he was asked about playing against Matthew Tkachuk. Kane’s answer? You wouldn’t be surprised if you really knew who Kane is. His reply: “What’s it like? It’s like any other player — he just talks a little more.”

In Game 1, Kane just didn’t log in an impressive 22:09 of ice time, his presence was impossible to ignore—not just in minutes, but in impact. He threw his body around with purpose, delivering hits to nine different Panthers players, and added a layer of psychological warfare by chirping and talking trash throughout. It wasn’t just about skill — it was about setting a tone.

“I thought we did a great job of it. We didn’t get too much into the after whistle stuff,” Kane said. “We’re a team that’s proven we’re going to play hard for the entire playoffs. And just because we’re playing Florida that’s not going to change.” This is, in fact, a much different Oilers team than the one the Panthers beat in seven games last year. They are a deeper and, perhaps more importantly, a fitter team. Last year, Draisaitl was but at a fraction of his true self, registering just three assists in the seven-game finals thanks to injuries.

This year, he is healthy, well-rested, and already has two goals to his name (including the OT winner). And while the Oilers will not have the services of hit machine Zach Hyman for the rest of the series, they have gotten both Connor Brown and Mattias Ekholm (he scored the equalizer in Game 1) back. But with all that said and done, the Oilers will know better than to be complacent. Because Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers are not known for taking a beating lying down.

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Matthew Tkachuk’s clear message to Evander Kane’s Oilers after the Game 1 loss

The Panthers do know how to come back. They did that in last year’s finals itself, after being down 3-0 in the series. This year, too, they began their Round 2 series against the Toronto Maple Leafs with defeats in the first two games and were down 2-1 in the third. Much like the Oilers, they have also shown how potent their depth is, having 19 different skaters score at least a goal in the postseason before the Cup Finals even started. So while Evander Kane may be dismissive of Tkachuk’s talking, he, perhaps, is also listening.

Tkachuk sent a simple yet powerful message to the Oilers and to his own team as well. Tkachuk said, “They’re better. We’re better. It’s going to be a great series.” Apart from dropping Games 1 and 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Panthers haven’t had back-to-back losses in their trip back to the Stanley Cup finals. They are 4-1 overall after losses, and Tkachuk thinks they are just a few tweaks away from getting back to where they want to be.

“We’re a very strong group mentally, so I’d say it’s more technical than mental. We’ve got a lot of battle scars on us from the last few years. We’ve been through way worse than that yesterday. We can be better. We can adjust a few things, come out tomorrow and try to get a win here,” he said. If you have any plans tomorrow night, better call in sick because if this year’s postseason has indicated anything, both the Panthers and the Oilers can walk the talk.