Matthew Tkachuk Gets Out of Hockey Jail, Scores Big Goal

SUNRISE — Matthew Tkachuk had himself an excitable night with the Florida Panthers on Friday night.

Tkachuk spent a good portion of Florida’s 3-2 shootout win against the Penguins off of the ice, officials slapping him with a 2-minute unsportsmanlike penalty as well as a 10-minute misconduct in the second period.

The doors to the penalty box swung open for Tkachuk about 7 minutes into the third, just in time for Tkachuk to hit the ice for a power play.

Of course, Tkachuk scored the go-ahead goal for the Panthers on that power play.

With that 10-minute misconduct, Tkachuk probably did something pretty serious, right?

Or cursed out the refs?

Does not sound like it.

“I couldn’t believe it,’’ Tkachuk said. “I guess I just had to go to the box and sit for a while.”

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Tkachuk was pulled out of a scrum with 5:22 left in the second, a bunch of Panthers mixing it up with Michael Bunting along the glass.

It appeared Tkachuk went peacefully to the penalty box after being told he was going in for the unsportsmanlike; he then left for the room when told it was also coming with the misconduct.

When the third period started, Tkachuk was back in the box waiting to be set free.

“He was fresh,’’ Paul Maurice quipped.

The officials working Friday’s game were, for the most part, the same group who called Thursday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Three of the four officials, including both referees, were the same as the night before.

Perhaps they were quick to sent Tkachuk to the cooler just to make sure things did not get out of control.

Maybe they just overreacted.

Regardless, Tkachuk was able to get out of hockey jail and score a big goal, deflecting a Carter Verhaeghe shot after posting up Ryan Graves in front of the net.

“When I came out,’’ Tkachuk said, “I tried to make an impact in the last half of the third period. I would have liked to have been out there, and that part was unfortunate. I thought the guys did a great job in a tight game in a back-to-back.”

Sam Bennett, meanwhile, was fined $5,000 for his high hit on Drew O’Connor which gave the Penguins a power play with 2:05 left in the game. They scored the 6-on-4 goal, but the Panthers won the game in a shootout.

“We would like to close it out there in the third,” Tkachuk said, “but it took a few extra minutes and some great goals and some great saves in the shootout.”

The Panthers ended up going 2-3 on their five-game homestand, one which started with consecutive shutouts.

Florida will play four of its next five games on the road starting Monday in Denver against the Avalanche.

ON DECK: GAME No. 41

FLORIDA PANTHERS AT COLORADO AVALANCHE 

• When: Monday, 9 p.m.
• Where: Ball Arena, Denver
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (Naples/FTM)
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Last Season: Panthers Won 2-0
• This Season (Avs Lead 1-0) — At Colorado: Monday. At Florida: Avs 7, Panthers 4 (Nov. 23).
• All-time Regular Season Series: Colorado leads 28-14-5, 3 ties
• Postseason Series: Colorado d. Florida 4-0, 1996 Stanley Cup Final
• Up Next for the Panthers: Wednesday at Utah, 10 p.m.