Matthew Tkachuk’s return sparks Panthers in stomping 6-2 win over Lightning in Game 1 of Battle of Florida – Source: Imagn

The Florida Panthers and Matthew Tkachuk walloped the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 in Game 1 of their opening-round series on Tuesday night.

Tkachuk’s return was a welcome one as the Panthers’ star had been out of the lineup since sustaining an injury while playing for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off in late February. The Panthers missed Tkachuk’s grit and s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 in the lineup but were fortunate enough to have him back for Game 1 of the Battle of Florida.

Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers rolled out the big lumber, scoring six goals on 16 shots in the game. Tkachuk had three points in his return, scoring twice and adding a helper. Here’s a look at Tkachuk’s first goal of the night:

Tkachuk scored on the power play, making the game 4-1 midway through the second period. He added another power play tally in the second to make the game 5-1.

Here it is:

Matthew Tkachuk’s two goals essentially put the game out of reach for the Lightning. They scored to make the game 5-2, but then the Panthers added one more to seal a 6-2 victory.

Defenseman Nate Schmidt scored twice for the Panthers, with Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, and captain Aleksander Barkov each getting two points apiece. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was sharp, making 20 saves on the night.

Matthew Tkachuk’s early penalty cost the Panthers a crucial goal

Matthew Tkachuk’s physical play cost the Panthers a goal in Game 1 against the Lightning – Source: Imagn

With the Panthers up 1-0 in the first period, Matthew Tkachuk let his emotions get the better of him. Midway through the period, Tkachuk laid a rough hit on Lightning star Nikita Kucherov. The hit led to Tkachuk getting the gate, ultimately resulting in Jake Guentzel tying the game.

Fortunately for Tkachuk and the Panthers, it would be the only power play goal scored by the Lightning. The Panthers took three total penalties in the game, despite their strong physical play, 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing off the other two.

In total, the Panthers laid 48 hits on the Lightning. But the physical play did not cost them more than Guentzel’s power play tally.

In contrast, the Panthers had a perfect night with the man advantage, going 3-for-3. Tkachuk and the Panthers will be looking to continue their hot streak moving forward as they will be looking to defend their Stanley Cup title from last season.

Game 2 will take place on Thursday night at Amalie Arena, with the Panthers looking to take 2-0 series lead.