SUNRISE — Matthew Tkachuk has had big moment after big moment during the Panthers’ Stanley Cup Final run. He might have saved Florida’s season Thursday night.
The star winger and first-year Panther scored a game-tying goal with 2:13 left in the third period at FLA Live Arena, preventing the Panthers from falling in a 3-0 series deficit. Instead, Florida won its first Stanley Cup Final game 3-2 on an overtime goal by Carter Verhaeghe.
Tkachuk, who has 11 playoff goals, missed most of the first period after a hit by Keegan Kolesar. He returned to the ice early in the second period but had only three shot attempts after returning. His fourth, though, found the back of the net as he shoveled in the puck from the crease.
The Panthers were facing that late deficit courtesy of former Florida forward Jonathan Marchessault. Vegas center Jack Eichel found a wide-open Marchessault — who Florida left unprotected in the 2017 expansion draft — to the right of Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, and Marchessault one-timed a shot over Bobrovsky’s shoulder to put the Golden Knights up 2-1 with 5:01 left in the second period.
Florida’s struggles on the power play continued Thursday night. The Panthers had five power plays in Game 3, but the Panthers could not convert on any of them. Florida is 0 for 12 on power plays in the series.
The Panthers did get out to a hot start, jumping out to an early lead on a goal by defenseman (and new father) Brandon Montour. It was the first lead Florida grabbed since Eric Staal scored to begin Game 1. But the Panthers could not keep the lead for long. The Golden Knights equalized late in the first period, capitalizing on a four-on-three with a goal by winger Mark Stone.
Thursday’s win was the first Stanley Cup Final victory in Panthers franchise history, after having been swept in 1996 by the Colorado Avalanche. The Panthers have a chance to equalize the series on Saturday night at FLA Live Arena.