DENVER (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk scored his second aim of the sport with 3:30 remaining and the Florida Panthers beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 after taking a three-goal lead within the third interval Tuesday evening.
Tkachuk continued to puck down the puck on an influence play till defenseman Cal Makar lastly pushed him to the aspect. However the puck got here off the skate of Avalanche ahead Ivan Rodriguez.
“It was constructed for her, proper?” Panthers coach Paul Morris stated of Tkachuk within the late recreation moments. “He would not thoughts going to the online. In the long run, that is what occurs. They weren’t fairly again then.”
Alexander Barkov, Brandon Montour and Sam Bennett all scored within the first interval to offer the Panthers a fast 3-0 begin. Tkachuk added one other aim within the second half.
“He is scored massive objectives for us all 12 months and there is only one extra aim,” Bennett stated of Tkachuk.
Trailing 4-1 halfway by the third interval, Colorado received on objectives by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan McKinnon with simply 20 seconds to spare. JT Comfer tied the rating with 7:53 left, moments after the Avalanche scored a disallowed aim on a profitable Panthers problem for offside.
“We surrender three objectives straight away. It is onerous to return again and we did it,” stated Rantanen.
The Avalanche was downplayed by Rantanen’s penalty for interference that put the Panthers on the facility play, ensuing within the win for Tkachuk. Florida might have left off an unnamed excessive stick.
“I did not just like the sequence in any respect,” stated Avalanche coach Jared Bednar. “I imply, Compher takes one within the face within the impartial zone. They let it go. Thirty seconds later, we’re known as with one—I feel the man ornaments it just a little bit. I am simply pondering, let the gamers resolve that.”
Rantanen added, “I am not saying something concerning the referees, I am simply saying it is a excessive stick. That is all I am saying.”
The Avalanche pulled goaltender Aleksandr Georgiev with a few minute left within the recreation however was unable to attain the equalizer.
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 27 Florida pictures.
Andrew Cogliano additionally scored for the Avalanche, who’ve misplaced six of their final seven video games (1-5-1). Georgiev made 32 saves in his twelfth straight begin – essentially the most by a Colorado goaltender since Semyon Varlamov hit 22 in a row in 2015.
The 2 might group up collectively to get part of the date that they actually don’t need. Florida and Colorado have been two of the most effective groups within the NHL final 12 months, with the Panthers successful the President’s Trophy for many factors through the common season and the Avalanche lifting the Stanley Cup.
With each group at the moment out of the playoff image, this might be the primary time within the fashionable NHL period (since 1943-44) when the No. 1 seed from the common season and Stanley Cup holder didn’t have a playoff spot. Midway by the season, in accordance with NHL Stats. The Panthers received previous the midway level, however Colorado had two extra video games earlier than the midway level.
Tkachuk has 22 objectives and 29 assists in 39 matches. He’s simply the third Panthers participant to succeed in 50 factors in 39 video games or fewer, becoming a member of Pavel Bure (34 video games in 1999-00) and Jonathan Huberdeau (twice: 37 video games in 2021-22 and 38 video games in 2019-20).
across the wreckage
Colorado defenders Josh Manson and Bowen Byram resumed skating. Each had decrease physique accidents. … Bennett, Barkov and Montour all had a aim and an help. … McKinnon scored his 253rd profession aim to maneuver previous Anton Stastny for fifth place on the franchise listing.
subsequent one
Panthers: In Vegas on Thursday they end their four-game journey.
Avalanche: In Chicago on Thursday. Colorado’s subsequent highway win could be its five hundredth common season win for the reason that franchise moved from Quebec to Denver previous to the 1995-96 season.
___
AP NHL: www.apnews.com/hub/NHL And www.twitter.com/AP_Sports