The Florida Panthers lost the Stanley Cup Finals to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Superstar Matthew Tkachuk did not play in the final.
– Panthers coach Paul Morris said after the loss, he could not wear the equipment on his own.
Matthew Tkachuk was Florida’s MVP in the playoffs – and perhaps the biggest factor in the eighth-ranked team reaching its first Stanley Cup Final since 1996.
The American scored 24 points in 20 matches – but in the last match there was no match.
He got to see the final five from the stands.
Skates cannot be tied
The striker suffered an injury in the final three, when he was tackled by Vegas player Keegan Kolesar. Tkachuk was able to make a comeback—and in fact decide the game in overtime—but in the Final Four, ice time was scarce.
Now Panthers coach Paul Morris confirms Tkachuk broke his sternum.
He couldn’t wear the equipment on his own before the fourth inning. Someone had to help him with that. One person had to tie his shoes while another had to put on his shirt. But when he came back the next day, he was really sore, the coach said in the press conference after the 9-3 loss.
Tkachuk was far from the only Panthers to have problems during the playoffs.
– It was a problem. Morris says he was one of four young men with a broken leg.
The Stanley Cup victory was the first for Vegas since entering the league prior to the 2017-18 season.