Matthew Tkachuk was the MVP of this Florida Panthers season but was unavailable for Tuesday’s must-win Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Now we know why.
While the Golden Knights celebrated with the Stanley Cup on the ice, Panthers coach Paul Maurice revealed that Tkachuk has a broken sternum.
The injury occurred in Game 3 on a hit from Keegan Kolesar, but Tkachuk stayed in the game and helped the Panthers win in overtime. He then dressed for Game 4 but had a limited role, skating only four shifts in the third period.
Tkachuk was just one of many Panthers players dealing with injuries during the playoffs. Maurice said some of the players will miss the start of next season due to the surgeries they’ll need to undergo.
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