RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk finished off a second straight overtime win — this time needing only a few minutes instead of four extra periods — then pointed again toward the door along the boards that led to the locker room.
He skated over as Florida Panthers teammates joined him, then motioned to lead them off the ice.
It was time to celebrate the latest big moment in a growing list of them this postseason for a team that needed a late push just to make the playoffs, but now stands just two wins away from the Stanley Cup Final.
Tkachuk finished a feed from Sam Reinhart at the 1:51 mark of overtime to help the Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 on Saturday night, taking a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference final.
It marked an eighth straight road win in these playoffs and helped Florida improve to 6-0 in overtime in the postseason.
“We’re a confident group no matter where we’re playing,” forward Sam Bennett said.
But it’s not just their recent success that has Panthers fans feeling hopeful and excited. The team has been building towards this for years, with a strong core of young players and a talented coaching staff led by Joel Quenneville. One of the key players in the Panthers’ success has been goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who has been playing some of his best hockey of the season in the playoffs. Bobrovsky has faced off against some of the best goaltenders in the league and has come out on top, making key saves in important moments to keep his team in the game.
The game between the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs has been intense and physically demanding for both teams, according to Panthers coach Paul Maurice. In the second game of the series, Matthew Tkachuk scored on a power play after being set up by teammates Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart. Following his goal, Tkachuk pointed towards the exit, indicating his desire to leave the ice as soon as possible due to the strenuous nature of the game. “Let’s get out of here, it’s been a lot of hockey the last two games,” he said.
Matthew Tkachuk scored the overtime winner as the Florida Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series. Tkachuk’s winner came after linemates Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart combined for a perfect pass to set up the forward. Aleksander Barkov added a highlight-reel goal for Florida, while Jalen Chatfield scored Carolina’s lone goal. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 37 shots for the Panthers, while Antti Raanta had 24 saves for the Hurricanes. Florida now holds a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game 3 set for Monday.
Tkachuk’s heroics in Game 2 were not the only milestone he achieved. He became only the fourth player in NHL history to score three overtime goals in a single postseason, joining Corey Perry (Anaheim, 2017), Maurice Richard (Montreal, 1951), and Mel Hill (Boston, 1939). Additionally, Tkachuk became the third player to score OT goals in the first two games of a single series, joining Richard and Hill.