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'Mr. Clutch' Matthew Tkachuk shines again in Game 3 despite apparent injury
What a run it has been for Matthew Tkachuk. After leaving the Calgary Flames to join the Florida Panthers last summer, Tkachuk has led the charge, as the Cats play in their first Stanley Cup Final in nearly 30 years.
Tkachuk has been the most clutch player all playoffs. His four game-winning goals lead all skaters and he has found a way to come up huge in the biggest moments, including pulling his team out of the ashes in the first round against the Boston Bruins.
In the first two games of the Final, Matthew Tkachuk struggled to make a difference. In fact, his whole team looked underwater, as the Vegas Golden Knights flew around and got out to a 2-0 series lead at home. But in Game 3, with what felt like the entire season on the line, Matthew Thachuk and the Panthers found a way to get the job done.
Brandon Montour put the Panthers up 1-0 early in the game, converting on an excellent pass from Tkachuk. But soon after, Tkachuk took a huge hit from Keegan Kolesar. The hit rattled the winger, who left the game and did not return until midway through the second period.
Tkachuk looked to be rattled from the hit and even appeared to be favoring his lower body. But after the game, it was revealed that the concussion spotter put Tkachuk through the NHL protocol before he was able to return.
Despite playing a large portion of the game without their best player, hurting themselves over and over with bad penalties, and seeing the lead turn into a deficit, the Panthers found themselves in a one-goal game in the third period.
Matthew Tkachuk comes up huge again in the final minutes of Game 3
In the final minutes, Florida displayed their final push, well aware that a 3-0 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Final was near impossible to overcome (it has only been done once.) Instead of fading away and losing hope, Florida did what they have done all postseason, found a way.
With two minutes remaining, a point shot from Carter Verhaege produced a juicy rebound to the left of Adin Hill. Standing there with body position in the blue paint was Matthew Tkachuk, who slammed home the rebound, tied the game, and sent the Panthers faithful into a screaming bliss.
In overtime, it was Verheage that gave the Panthers their first win of the series, but not without the help of Tkachuk.
Verhaege collected a puck in the high slot and his wrister beat Hill over the glove, just sliding by the screen of Tkachuk in front. The 25-year-old finished with one goal and a assist, but had a huge part in all three Florida goals.
Matthew Tkachuk has now rattled off 11 goals and 24 points in only 19 playoff games. Of those 11 goals, four have been game-winners and three have come in overtime.
He has earned the "clutch" nickname and will need to continue to excel to help Panthers win the Stanley Cup.
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