Tkachuk, Panthers look to ‘capture the biggest goal of our lifetime’ in Game 5 against Oilers | NHL.com

Tkachuk wants to make the most of the moment. The bar he’ll have to clear to play his best game isn’t as high as he’d like it to be. He has been held to one point in the series, an assist on Sam Bennett‘s goal in Game 3, and has scored one goal in 15 games since May 8. His last goal was Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers on May 22. His assist in Game 3 was his only point in the past six games.

He is, however, still second on the Panthers with 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in the playoffs behind captain Aleksander Barkov‘s 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists).

“He’s been good,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said of Tkachuk. “You become desensitized possibly by [Connor] McDavid and [Leon] Draisaitl, and we’ve got stars too, but it’s not going to be flashy every shift of his game. The inside play that he makes to Bennett on the goal is an incredible play. I don’t expect that every time he touches the puck. Both teams have really good players. Both teams’ power plays have been quiet and that’s why both teams star players numbers are what they are. He’s very close leading our team in scoring. We just need solid out of each guy. That’s what we’re looking for.”

The Panthers didn’t get that in Game 4, but they feel they learned something important from that experience, their first trying to win the Stanley Cup.

“I mean, arguably last game was maybe good for us to kind of settle ourselves down and realize we’re in a series,” defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. “We’ll just try to channel that energy the right way this time and find a way to get it done.

“Try to find a way to win a game tonight, not put so much pressure on ourselves.”

Ekblad said the Panthers did put too much pressure on themselves going into Game 4 because they knew they could win it that night.

“I don’t think it’s possible to not put pressure on yourself,” he said.

He said the pressure now isn’t the same, even though the situation is.

“It feels different today,” he said. “It just feels like another hockey game. Go play it and play it to our absolute best effort and best ability.”

Or, as Tkachuk said, lay it all on the line for the dream.

“We come into Game 5 not thinking that we lost Game 4, but that this is an opportunity to win it all,” Tkachuk said. “You leave everything out there. Play our defensive style first, don’t give them anything easy, and try to come out of there with a win tonight for our childhood goal.”