Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final was a physical slugfest, as tempers flared between members of the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers throughout the entire night.
It was Florida who emerged on top Monday night, coming away with a lopsided 6–1 victory. The physical nature of Game 3 is better suited to the Panthers' style compared to that of the Oilers, and that was evidenced by the scoreboard.
The physical battle on Monday night wasn't an issue for Florida, and when speaking to reporters after the game, star forward Matthew Tkachuk acknowledged the team's willingness to both take and deliver a hit in order to secure a win.
"If you have to take a punch in the face, take a punch in the face," Tkachuk told reporters when speaking about the team's mentality, via Panthers digital content manager Jameson Oliver.
By the end of the night, it was clear that the Panthers were winning not only on the scoreboard, but in terms of the mental warfare, too. The Oilers recorded the third most penalty minutes in a single Stanley Cup Final game in history, as the relentless antics from Florida's side resulted in frustrations boiling over.
If being on the receiving end of a cheap shot is going to help the Panthers get closer to winning their second straight Stanley Cup, there's not a player in that locker room who wouldn't gladly volunteer to take the hit, which is part of what makes this Florida team so special.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Matthew Tkachuk Perfectly Sums Up Panthers' Mentality After Grueling Game 3 Win .