Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk missed Game 5 because of broken sternum, coach says

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk missed Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights because he suffered a broken sternum, coach Paul Maurice said. Here’s what you need to know:

Maurice told reporters before Game 5 that he knew whether Tkachuk was playing or not, but would not share the decision publicly.
The 25-year-old winger was limited to 16:40 of ice time in Saturday’s Game 4 loss.
The Golden Knights won Game 5 9-3 over the Panthers to capture the Stanley Cup.

Broken sternum for Matthew Tkachuk, says coach Paul Maurice.

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) June 14, 2023

Backstory

Tkachuk leads Florida with 11 goals and 13 assists this postseason, accounting for four game winners, three of which came in overtime.

When asked after Saturday’s Game 4 about his availability for Game 5, Tkachuk said: “That’s a tough question. I don’t really want to talk about that right now… I don’t know what is going to come from this.”

The Panthers are looking to become the second team in NHL history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final series. Earlier this postseason, Florida rallied from a 3-1 hole to knock off the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Bruins in the first round.

What they’re saying

Maurice lauded Tkachuk’s ability to come back in Game 3 and score the big tying goal. But in Game 4, “he didn’t dress himself for the game. Somebody helped him get his gear on, somebody tied his skates, somebody put his sweater on. But the next day when he came in, he was in significant pain. So it wasn’t really a question whether he’d be able to play or not. The idea would be to let it calm and we might be able to get him to get him to Game 7.”

Required reading

(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)