Big Puck, Tkachuk!

05/25/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

Game 4: Matthew Tkachuk Scores Game-Winner With 4.3 Seconds Left to Complete Sweep, Put Panthers in Stanley Cup Finals

Matthew Tkachuk does it again! The Florida Panthers are heading to the Stanley Cup Finals after sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night, but they finished the sweep with more late-game heroics. The Canes rallied from behind twice to tie the game at 3-3 in the final four minutes of the third period, but no overtime would be necessary in Game 4. Matthew Tkachuk gathered the puck in a fortuitous spot and fired the game-winner with 4.3 seconds left to complete the sweep. It was Tkachuk’s second goal of the game and his third late game-winner of the series. The Panthers are Cup bound.

Panthers Playoff Run: Florida took down three of the top four teams from the regular season in their path through the Eastern Conference — Bruins, Maple Leafs, and Hurricanes. The fifth-best team from the regular season is likely waiting for them in the Finals (Vegas). Remember: Florida was the last wild-card team in the postseason. The Panthers have been to the Stanley Cup Finals just once, and that was 27 years ago (1996). They’ve never won it.

Big Puck, Tkachuk: No one has had a more outrageous postseason run than Matthew Tkachuk. The 25-year-old winger has 21 points in the playoffs (9 goals, 12 assists). Three of his nine playoff goals were game-winners in the Eastern Conference Finals. He had OT winners in Game 1 and 2 before last night’s regulation buzzer-beater in Game 4.

All four games of the East Finals were decided by one goal. If the Panthers go on to win the Cup, don’t forget they needed an OT winner in Game 7 of Round 1 to upset the history-making Bruins. Vegas or Dallas? The Stanley Cup Finals are coming.

Eastern Conference Finals Highlights

Gm 4: Panthers def. Hurricanes (4-3) | FLA Wins (4-0)

Tonight (Western Conference Finals)
Gm 4: Golden Knights at Stars (8:00 pm ET) | VGK Leads (3-0)

SportsNet: Gotta See It: Matthew Tkachuk Sends Panthers to Stanley Cup Finals With Late Winner