Matthew Tkachuk delivered in dramatic fashion, scoring his second goal of the night with just 12 seconds remaining to lift the Florida Panthers to a thrilling 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.
Tkachuk, who also recorded an assist, extended his goal streak to five games as the Panthers secured their fourth win in the last five contests. Mackie Samoskevich added a goal, and goaltender Spencer Knight turned away 20 shots to preserve the victory.
For the Blues, Zack Bolduc had a goal and an assist, while Oskar Sundqvist also found the back of the net. Goaltender Joel Hofer made 31 saves, but it wasn’t enough to prevent St. Louis from dropping their sixth game in the last seven outings.
The Panthers struck first when Samoskevich, returning from a three-game absence due to illness, netted a goal. However, his night was cut short as he later exited with an upper-body injury and did not return.
The Blues responded with goals from Sundqvist and Bolduc, putting them ahead before Tkachuk tied the game in the third period. The decisive moment came in the final seconds when Sam Reinhart’s shot deflected off Tkachuk in front of the net, initially giving Reinhart credit before the goal was correctly attributed to Tkachuk.
Panthers Samoskevich made an impact in his return but was forced to leave due to injury. His status remains uncertain. Tkachuk’s scoring streak now stands at five games, with six goals and five assists during that span.
Blues forward Mathieu Joseph returned to the lineup after battling an illness, but forward Alexandre Texier was scratched due to the same issue. Defenseman Tyler Tucker missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury but remains day-to-day.
Both teams will play their final game before the two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday. The Panthers will host the Ottawa Senators, while the Blues will look to rebound at home against the Chicago Blackhawks.
