When Matthew Tkachuk was ruled out for the Florida Panthers as they faced elimination in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final Tuesday, it was clear something was seriously wrong.
After he took a devastating hit from the Vegas Golden Knights’ Keegan Kolesar in Game 3, Tkachuk was severely limited. He returned from that hit to score the tying goal in Florida’s Game 3 victory but sat for an extended stretch in the third period of Game 4 before missing Game 5, in which Vegas defeated Florida 9-3 to clinch its first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
How hurt was the rugged Tkachuk if it was bad enough for him to miss Game 5? According to multiple reports surfacing on Twitter in the aftermath of Vegas’ victory, Tkachuk suffered a cracked sternum and four broken ribs on the hit from Kolesar in Game 3.
According to ESPN’s John Buccigross, brother Brady Tkachuk had to help Matthew out of bed after his pre-game nap just to get him ready to play Game 4. The injury was so bad that Tkachuk’s teammates had to help him put his equipment on, reports The Hockey News’ Erin Brown.
Tkachuk had a playoffs for the ages before he was forced to sit idle while his team got eliminated Tuesday. He racked up 10 goals and 24 points in 23 games, including four game-winning goals, three of which came in the Eastern Conference Final sweep over the Carolina Hurricanes. Three of Tkachuk’s four game-winners this spring came in overtime to boot.
Without Tkachuk, the Panthers couldn’t stay competitive on the road in Game 5 in front of a raucous crowd at T-Mobile Arena. The Golden Knights led 2-0 after the first period and exploded for four goals in the second period, heading into the second intermission with a 6-1 lead. The third period was just a formality.
Tkachuk missed Game 5, while several of his teammates battled injuries of their own but stayed in the lineup. Top defenseman Aaron Ekblad reportedly endured a broken foot, two shoulder dislocations and oblique tears, while Radko Gudas suffered a high ankle sprain.
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