The Matthew Tkachuk commerce retains getting higher and higher with every night time. His time beyond regulation purpose in Wednesday’s 4-3 win in opposition to Boston in Game 5 didn’t simply preserve the Florida Panthers season going. It established him much more these playoffs because the face of this franchise transferring ahead. He’s not solely a scorer however an edgy bodily presence that has caught Boston’s full consideration this collection. On a crew that doesn’t play as cute as final season however nonetheless doesn’t have sufficient grit, Tkachuk brings the sandpaper persona you hope rubs off on others. He has three targets and three assists this collection to guide the crew. He additionally leads in being an instigator in opposition to Boston. You understand how the Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill was a star who performed past hopes? Tkachuk is similar concept for the Panthers as they go for the massive shock in opposition to Boston.
“We were supposed to get swept in this series, right?” he stated after his game-winner despatched this collection again to Sunrise for Game 6 on Friday. “I don’t suppose anyone actually gave us an opportunity after shedding two video games in a row at house. …
2. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky had an enormous recreation in an odd postseason for him. He had 44 saves on Wednesday, none larger than when an odd sequence on the finish of regulation gave Boston’s star an opportunity for a breakaway buzzer beater. Bobrovsky made the cease to maintain the season going. He’s began the previous two video games and you may count on him Friday in Sunrise for Game 6. Let’s not fake this collection was some referendum on the Panthers goalie scenario. Alex Lyon was phenomenal down the stretch for this franchise. But Bobrovsky is owed $12 million subsequent 12 months and Spencer Knight is owed $4.5 million. So the underside line right here is concerning the backside line. The Panthers can’t pay Lyon. Thank him for his good service — and for the great persona he was — and need him the perfect.
3. Again: Is this all you get from Aleksander Barkov in an enormous collection? You may as properly throw defenseman Aaron Ekblad in that query, too. Barkov, the Panthers all-time factors chief, was noticeably quiet in an usually loud 5 video games. He had three assists. That’s one thing a minimum of. But affect? He didn’t have a shot within the first eight durations of the collection — till the third interval of Game 3. Yes, he has an entire recreation and is instrumental defensive ahead. But to be thought-about a serious star, as Barkov’s expertise has proven, you’ve obtained to do one thing within the playoffs. It’s not too late.
4. Where do the Panthers want to enhance in Game 6? Let’s begin with the particular groups. That’s no shock contemplating Boston’s traditionally sturdy crew is robust on either side of the penalty work. Boston is 6 of 19 on energy performs this collection after going 2 of 5 in Game 5. The Panthers are 2 of 13 after Sam Reinhart’s shot from the slot gave Florida a 3-2 lead in Wednesday’s third interval. These numbers clarify why the Panthers stored speaking about having to maintain the collection five-on-five. Of course, they then took 5 penalties on Wednesday, together with an inexcusable penalty for six males on the ice in a 3-3 recreation late within the third interval.
5. Quote of the night time: “I knew it wasn’t going in,’’ Panthers coach Paul Maurice said of his thoughts during Marchand’s last-seconds breakaway in regulation. “And you can’t know it’s not going in. But I don’t feel we’ve had a whole lot of advantage in this series in the karma of the game. It’s nice away to say I disagee with the number of calls . I feel like we’ve sored up enough karma that that puck didn’t go in. And then profanity, long stretches of nasty stuff.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com