"Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk makes successful comeback with two goals in NHL recap"
Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk made his return to the ice after missing the final 25 games of the season due to a lower-body injury. Tkachuk had a strong performance, scoring two goals and assisting on another as the Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 in the first game of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Tuesday night. This win also gave the Panthers home-ice advantage for the rest of the series.
Tkachuk's goals came on two power plays, while defenseman Nate Schmidt also scored on a power play and at even strength. The Panthers were successful on all three of their power play opportunities. Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart each had a goal and an assist, and Aleksander Barkov contributed two assists. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 20 saves for the Panthers.
The Lightning's Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point each scored a goal, but goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy struggled, allowing six goals on just 16 shots.
In other playoff action, the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 in overtime, taking a 2-0 series lead. Max Domi scored the game-winning goal for the Maple Leafs, with John Tavares and Morgan Rielly also finding the back of the net. Anthony Stolarz made 26 saves for the Maple Leafs. Brady Tkachuk and Adam Gaudette scored for the Senators, and Linus Ullmark stopped 18 shots.
The Carolina Hurricanes also took a 2-0 series lead with a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Jordan Martinook had a goal and an assist, continuing his strong playoff performance against the Devils with four goals and 13 points in seven career playoff games. Shayne Gostisbehere and Seth Jarvis also scored for the Hurricanes, while goaltender Frederik Andersen made 25 saves. Jesper Bratt scored the lone goal for the Devils, and Jacob Markstrom stopped 25 shots.
In the Western Conference quarterfinals, the Minnesota Wild defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2 to even the series at 1-1. Kirill Kaprizov had two goals and an assist, while Matt Boldy, Marcus Foligno, and Mats Zuccarello also scored for the Wild. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 30 saves for the win. Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertl scored for the Golden Knights, and Adin Hill stopped 12 of 16 shots. The series now moves to Minnesota for the next two games.
