The Florida Panthers’ star player, Matthew Tkachuk, played just 16 minutes and 40 seconds in their Game 4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, moving Vegas one win away from capturing its first Stanley Cup. Tkachuk was clearly struggling during the game, and only skated four shifts during the third period. It is uncertain whether he will be available for Tuesday’s potential elimination game back in Las Vegas. Florida coach Paul Maurice declined to disclose what was affecting Tkachuk, stating that they have two days to assess the situation before making a decision.
Tkachuk leads the Panthers with 11 goals and 13 assists this postseason. In Game 4, he did very little shooting during warmups and did not have his usual velocity. He managed four shots on goal on eight shot attempts but went 10 minutes and 41 seconds between shifts in the third period as Florida attempted to rally from a 3-0 deficit.
Florida Panthers looking to rally in Game 5
The end of Game 4 was chaotic, with the Panthers scrambling to get pucks on goalie Adin Hill (29 saves) in the final seconds of their 6-on-4 power play. Tkachuk had the puck on his stick right before the buzzer sounded. Then several scrums started, and Hill took exception to Florida defenseman Brandon Montour crashing his net after the horn sounded. As garbage and plastic rats littered the ice, Hill earned a minor for unsportsmanlike conduct while Montour was given a charging minor and a 10-minute misconduct. Tkachuk was given slashing and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, as well as his fourth 10-minute misconduct of the series. Tkachuk now has five 10-minute misconducts this postseason, the seventh player of all time to have that many in a single postseason.
Teams up 3-1 in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final have won 36 of 37 series. The only team to rally from that deficit was the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, who came back from a 3-0 hole to defeat the Detroit Red Wings for the Cup. However, the Panthers have something to cling to heading into Game 5: their shocking first-round win over the Boston Bruins after rallying from a 3-1 series deficit. It all started with a Game 5 overtime victory on the road, on the first of three overtime winners from Tkachuk in this run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Maurice said that before Game 5, his players would be reminded of that rally against the Bruins. “We’ll tell stories over the next two days, for sure, reminders of the energy level we brought into Game 5 in Boston,” he said, “and we’ll celebrate it. We’ll celebrate it before the puck drops.”
As the Florida Panthers head into Game 5, the status of their star player, Matthew Tkachuk, remains uncertain. After playing just 16 minutes and 40 seconds in their Game 4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, there is speculation that Tkachuk might have been feeling the effects of the Game 3 hit delivered by Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar. Florida coach Paul Maurice declined to disclose what was affecting Tkachuk, stating that they have two days to assess the situation before making a decision. The Panthers are hoping to rally in Game 5, taking inspiration from their shocking first-round win over the Boston Bruins after rallying from a 3-1 series deficit. Maurice said that before Game 5, his players would be reminded of that rally against the Bruins.
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