The presence of Matthew Tkachuk was severely missed in the opening period when he was out of the game with an injury. In the final minutes of Game 3’s third period, Tkachuk showed up with his clutch play one more time and sent the contest to overtime.
Just 4:27 into the overtime period, Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe helped complete the comeback. Verhaeghe uncorked a scorching shot to beat Golden Knights netminder Adin Hill and give the Panthers a 3-2 win in Game 3. It marked the first Stanley Cup Final win in franchise history for the Panthers, who were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final in their only other appearance.
Verhaeghe recorded a goal and an assist in Game 3 as he assisted on the game-tying goal from Tkachuk late in the third period.
With just 2:13 remaining in the third period, Tkachuk deposited a rebound into the back of the net off an initial shot from Verhaeghe to tie the game at 2-2. The Golden Knights were previously clinging to a one-goal advantage after Vegas star Jonathan Marchessault extended his franchise-record point streak to eight consecutive games with a goal at 14:59 of the second period.
After Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour opened the scoring with his seventh goal of the postseason, Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore, like he has many times throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, displayed tremendous patience. Theodore got the puck over to Marchessault, who put it on net. Marchessault’s shot was tipped home by Mark Stone to tie the game at 1-1.
Stone’s tally was the sixth power-play goal for the Golden Knights in the series. With the primary assist on the play, Marchessault set a Golden Knights franchise record by extending his point streak to eight consecutive games.
Panthers have new life
The Golden Knights dominated the majority of the first two games of the series, including a 7-2 drubbing of the Panthers in Game 2. With a massive 3-2 overtime win in Game 3, the Panthers suddenly have climbed back into the series.
It seemed to be forgotten that Florida was hanging with Vegas heading into the third period of Game 1. Forward Anthony Duclair scored a goal off the face-off in the final seconds of the second period of Game 1 to tie the game at 2-2. The Golden Knights ultimately were able to pull away with three goals in the final period to earn a 5-2 win.
Fast forward to Thursday, and Carter Verhaeghe had his opportunity to play the role of hero for a Panthers team that desperately needed one. If the Panthers would’ve saw Matthew Tkachuk score the game-tying goal late in the third period only to lose in overtime, that may have been the nail in the coffin for Florida.
Tkachuk continues to be clutch
When you look up the definition of clutch in the dictionary, there should be a photo of Matthew Tkachuk right next to it. Tkachuk has been sensational when games have hung in the balance throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That continued to be the case in Game 3 as Tkachuk netted the game-tying goal with just 2:13 remaining in the third period. Throughout portions of the final period, the Panthers were kept in the game by goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who recorded 25 saves on the night. When Bobrovsky was pulled in favor of the extra attacker, the Panthers were able to be aggressive, and Tkachuk rose to the occasion like he has many times before. Tkachuk was able to get to his spot around the crease, and he banged home a rebound off a Verhaeghe shot to tie the game.
Tkachuk is entering some very elite company after scoring his fifth game-winning goal in the 2023 postseason. The Panthers star sits among several of the sport’s all-time legends with five game-winning goals in a single postseason, a list including Mario Lemieux, Mike Bossy, and Jari Kurri. Former Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brad Richards holds the record for game-winning goals in a single playoffs with seven, which he set during the 2003-04 campaign. With the way Tkachuk has been playing in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, moving up the list wouldn’t be out of the question.
Marchessault continues scorching stretch
The story of Game 3 is obviously going to be Matthew Tkachuk coupled with Carter Verhaeghe’s game-winner. However, Golden Knights star Jonathan Marchessault continued his absurd point-producing stretch on Thursday.
Late in the opening period, Marchessault received a pass from teammate Shea Theodore and was able to put the puck on net. Vegas winger Mark Stone tipped Marchessault’s shot past Sergei Bobrovsky to tie the game at 1-1. In doing so, Marchessault set a new franchise record with an eight-game point streak. However, Marchessault wasn’t done there. In the second period, Marchessault was able to get some favorable real estate and ripped a one-timer into the net off a terrific feed from Jack Eichel.
With his goal, Marchessault joined some elite company as he became just the third player in the last 35 years to score a goal in the first three games of a Stanley Cup Final. He joins Detroit Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman and Pittsburgh Penguins star Jake Guentzel as the only other players to accomplish such a feat.
Marchessault has scored a goal in four consecutive games and seven of his last eight. That brings his grand total to 13 goals throughout the 2023 postseason, which Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl for the playoff lead. Marchessault just has a nose for scoring goals and always seems to be in the right position to put the puck in the net.
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