Stanley Cup Playoffs Day 33: Tkachuk scores OT winner lifting Panthers to 2-0 series lead

Another playoff game, another night of overtime!

Except this time, the game between the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes did not go to a fourth overtime period, and the fans in the East could go to bed a bit earlier.

Once again, it was Panthers’ forward Matthew Tkachuk who became the hero and scored the overtime winner to lift the Panthers to a 2-0 series lead just 1:51 into the overtime period. Coming off an ensuing faceoff, while on the powerplay, Sam Bennett whipped a pass over to Sam Reinhart, who was able to find Tkachuk’s stick, putting it past Antti Raanta with ease.

Like the scenes after the overtime thriller on Thursday night, Tkachuk skated towards the door leading to the Panthers’ locker room, motioning for his teammates to leave the ice immediately.

It was the Hurricanes who started the period off strong, with defensemen Jalen Chatfield registering his first goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs off a tip-in from Sebastian Aho’s shot to give the Canes a 1-0 lead early into the first period. Both teams would have goals called back on them, though. Beginning with the Panthers when Gustav Forsling fired a shot past Raanta that made it seem like the Panthers had tied the game, but the Canes challenged for offside and were successful. Jack Drury scored for the Canes late in the first, which looked to give them a 2-0 lead; however, this time, the Panthers challenged for offside and the goal was overturned after a video review.

During the second period, the Panthers were able to come alive and weather the storm. It was Captain Aleksander Barkov getting the Cats on the board with a highlight-reel fake between-the-legs goal to bury it past Raanta on the backhand to tie the game at one apiece. Barkov registered his fourth goal of the postseason.

Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky came up big for a stop on Teuvo Teravainen following a Martin Necas feed, but Bobrovsky was able to deny Teravainen with his blocker.

Bobrovsky earned the first star honours after stopping 37 shots just two nights following his 60-save performance. Tkachuk earned the second star honours, while Barkov received the third star.

The Panthers now have home-ice advantage for the next two games of the Eastern Conference Final and are just two wins away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996.