Panthers' Tkachuk noncommital on status for Game 5 of Cup Final

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk has had a magical playoff run, scoring big goal after big goal and leading the eighth-seeded Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final.

But during Saturday's Game 4, Tkachuk clearly wasn't himself.

In a 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Tkachuk saw just 16:40 of total ice time, which included over a 10-minute stretch in the third period where he remained glued to the bench.

He did return for a couple of shifts near the end of the game, and was also front and centre in the line brawl that erupted after the game concluded. But anyone who has watched him all playoffs knows he wasn't the same player Saturday night.

After the game, Tkachuk was asked if this particular injury was something he picked in Game 3, or if it was specific to tonight. Unsurprisingly, Tkachuk chose to keep those details to himself.

"That's just not going to come out right now," Tkachuk said.

He was also asked about what it would take for him to sit out Game 5, which he also avoided.

"I don't know, I don't really want to talk about that right now," Tkachuk explained.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said the team will take the two days off to assess Tkachuk's status, and then make a decision.

Tkachuk's 24 points throughout the playoffs are tied for top spot with Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault and Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz.

With their star clearly labouring, the Panthers now face the very difficult task of coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final — a feat that has been accomplished just once in 37 attempts by the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs.

But this isn't the first time the Panthers have had their backs against the wall this post-season, and if they've proven one thing, they certainly won't go down without a fight.