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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
LAS VEGAS — Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice has decided on whether injured star Matthew Tkachuk will play in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. He just didn’t want to share his decision Tuesday morning.
Maurice said Tkachuk’s status would be revealed right before puck drop in Las Vegas, where Florida faces elimination.
The Panthers trail the Golden Knights 3-1 in the Stanley Cup Final. Tkachuk leads the Panthers in goals (11) and points (24). He has been their most valuable forward in the playoffs with four game-winning goals — three of them coming in overtime.
Tkachuk was limited to just 16 minutes, 40 seconds of ice time in the Panthers’ Game 4 loss. Although he managed four shots on goal, he was clearly laboring with what appeared to be an upper-body injury. He skated only four shifts during the third period.
Maurice said that if Tkachuk does play, “there would be no limit at the start of the game. But that would be true of any player that was dealing with [an injury].”
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said Tkachuk’s absence would be felt in a must-win game.
“He’s a top player in this league. He’s a huge player for our team. No matter what, I think everyone has to step up a little bit and play a little better than we’ve been,” he said.
Panthers players said if Tkachuk can’t go, or if he’s limited, they’ll be ready to answer the call in Game 5.
“We’ve been shorthanded a lot this year with big guys being in and out of the lineup and it’s just an opportunity for other guys to step up and take a bigger role, be more of an impact. So that shouldn’t be an issue,” said center Sam Bennett, Tkachuk’s linemate.
Eric Staal, the Panthers’ veteran center, said the team would remain confident with someone as important as Tkachuk out.
“We grind it all year. We won some key games at key times with important pieces out of our lineup. So however we look tomorrow, I know we’ll have confidence in who we are and the guys that are out there,” said Staal.
Florida has already rallied once from a 3-1 series deficit this postseason, having overcome that disadvantage in their shocking first-round upset of the Boston Bruins.