SUNRISE, Fla. — The sequence — and the reaction — was a sight to see. Florida Panthers All-Star winger Matthew Tkachuk took a cross-ice pass from Sam Reinhart, flicked the puck toward the net from up close, chased after and corralled his own rebound, scooped the puck back on his stick and pushed it past goaltender Karel Vejmelka for a power-play goal with about 30 seconds left in the second period. Tkachuk pumped his right fist into the air as ballcaps made their way from the seats to the ice.
For the first time since joining the Panthers in the blockbuster trade of the summer, Tkachuk recorded a hat trick as Florida defeated the Arizona Coyotes, 5-3, on Tuesday at FLA Live Arena.
And each of Tkachuk’s three goals game at key moments in an early January game that had a must-win feel to it given how far down the Panthers (17-18-4) are in the standings and how much they have failed to live up to expectations with the season nearing the halfway mark.
