Panthers’ Carter Verhaeghe, Matthew Tkachuk won’t play Tuesday vs. Canadiens
The Florida Panthers announced Tuesday that forwards Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk won’t play in their Tuesday night game against the Montreal Canadiens, according to the club’s social media.
Updates from Coach Maurice ahead of tonight’s game in Montreal:
• Carter Verhaeghe (week to week) will not play tonight
• Matthew Tkachuk (illness) will not play
• Nick Cousins, Kyle Okposo, & Steven Lorentz draw in
• Anthony Stolarz starts
7pm ET on @BallyPanthers 📺 pic.twitter.com/lNGhKviy7a
— x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 2, 2024
Verhaeghe is week-to-week, but head coach Paul Maurice is confident he will be ready for the playoffs. Meanwhile, Tkachuk is dealing with an illness.
The 28-year-old Verhaeghe suffered an upper-body injury in Monday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs and did not return to the game. In 75 games this season, Verhaeghe has 33 goals and 38 assists for 71 points, two points shy of a career high he set last season with the team.
As for Tkachuk, 26, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft has 23 goals and 57 assists for 80 points this season. In 584 career games across eight seasons with the Panthers and Calgary Flames, he has 215 goals and 356 assists for 571 points.
Going into Tuesday night, the Panthers are 47-23-5 with 99 points, second in the Atlantic Division and two points behind the Boston Bruins for No. 1 in the division. However, they’re 3-6-1 in their last 10 games.
After they play the Canadiens, the Panthers fly to Ottawa to take on the Senators on Thursday night, then head over to Massachusetts to take on the Bruins on Saturday night.