Matthew Tkachuk OUT for Florida Panthers in Game 5 of Cup Final

The Florida Panthers are going to be missing a big piece of their lineup Tuesday night as Matthew Tkachuk will not play in Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Tkachuk, who was injured during Game 3 against the Golden Knights, has not skated since Game 4 and was not on the ice for warmups on Tuesday.

The Panthers are expected to have Grigori Denisenko — who was the team’s first-round pick in 2018 — make his postseason debut.

Denisenko has spent much of his career with the Panthers playing for their minor league team in Charlotte.

Tkachuk came into this series as a serious candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy which goes to the postseason MVP.

He currently is tied for the lead in playoff points with 24 along with Roope Hintz or Dallas and Vegas’ Jonathan Marchessault.

FLORIDA PANTHERS ON DECK

THE 2023 STANLEY CUP FINAL

FLORIDA PANTHERS AT VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 

GAME 5 (Vegas leads 3-1)

• When: Tuesday, 8 p.m.
• Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
• TV: TNT
  
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM, WPOW 96.5 FM2, WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932
• Betting odds — Golden Knights Favored: Money Line (-190); Puck line (-1.5, +145); Over/Under 6 (+100/-120). Series: Vegas favored -1400.
• Series Schedule — Game 1: @Vegas 5, Florida 2; Game 2: @Vegas 7, Florida 2; Game 3: @Florida 3, Vegas 2 (OT); Game 4: Vegas 3, @Florida 2 ; Game 5: Tuesday at Vegas, 8 (TNT); Game 6*: Friday at Florida, 8 (TNT); Game 7*: Monday at Vegas, 8 (TNT). * – If Necessary
• 2022-23 Regular Season Series (Even 1-1): @Vegas 4, Florida 2 (Jan. 12); @Florida 2, Vegas 1 (March 7)
• All-time Regular Season Series: Golden Knights lead 6-3-1
• Postseason History: First meeting
• How They Got Here — Vegas: d. Winnipeg in 5, Edmonton in 6, Dallas in 6; Florida: d. Boston in 7, Toronto in 5, Carolina in 4.