SUNRISE, Fla. — Matthew Tkachuk whirled around in search of someone to celebrate with. His goal — a beautiful masterclass of stick work and finesse around the crease — had punctuated a rapid-fire comeback for the Florida Panthers and pulled them from the verge of a potentially frustrating loss to the New Jersey Devils to the brink of a thrilling victory.
The All-Star right wing eventually found an open patch of ice, dropped to his knees and pumped his right fist. His teammates mobbed him and the FLA Live Arena crowd roared. The Panthers were on their way to a 4-2 win and one of their best come-from-behind victories of the season.
Florida was down 2-0 at the end of the second period and entirely wasted a dominant opening frame. The Panthers had conceded a short-handed goal and a wonky rebound goal on a play they believed should have been blown dead. In the span of 2:30, Florida erased it all.
