After building up a 4-1 lead through two periods at Colorado on goals from Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett and Brandon Montour, the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche netted three goals in the third period to turn a potential blowout into a heart-pumping nailbiter.
Staying calm, cool and collected despite that strong push, the Panthers then found the big goal they needed when Tkachuk scored on the power play to make it 5-4 with 3:30 left in regulation.
A 2023 NHL All-Star, Tkachuk leads Florda in goals (22), assists (29) and point (51).
"You have to go through hard things to gain confidence," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. "That game was a hard game. They're fighting for their playoff lives, too. They won the Stanley Cup last year. There was going to be a push. They ran [Nathan] MacKinnon every second shift, and that's what happens in those games. We handled it and we got the win."
After making 27 saves against the Avalanche -- including three final big stops to lock in the win following Tkachuk's goal -- Sergei Bobrovsky will man the crease once again in Vegas. Over his last nine appearances, the steady veteran owns a 5-4-0 record with a .912 save percentage.
While no lineup changes are expected for the Panthers, a new face was on the ice during this morning's skate as defenseman Casey Fitzgerald, the son of Panthers legend Tom Fitzgerald, officially joined the team after being claimed off the waiver wire from Buffalo on Wednesday.
"It's awesome," said Fitzgerald, who's recorded nine assists over 59 career NHL games. "It's been a crazy 24 hours here, but I'm so happy to be in this spot. They've got a great thing going here. The guys are awesome, and the coaches are great. I just love the way these guys play."
Leading the Pacific Division at 27-13-2, the Knights have won three of their last four games, but enter tonight's matchup looking to bounce back from a 5-1 loss against the Kings on Saturday.
In that defeat, Jonathan Marchessault scored the lone goal for Vegas, which mustered only 20 shots on goal. After giving up three goals on 19 shots through the first two periods against Los Angeles, Logan Thompson was replaced in net by Adin Hill, who faced just three shots in relief.
Spreading out the offense, seven different players have amassed at least 28 points for the Knights. Chandler Stephenson ranks first on the team in assists (29) and points (40). Reilly Smith leads the team with 18 goals, while Mark Stone is close behind in second with 17.
Producing at better than a point-per-game clip, Jack Eichel, who missed 11 games earlier this season due to a lower-body injury, has recorded 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in 29 games.
Despite taking the loss in three of his last four starts, Thompson remains right in the thick of the race for the Calder Trophy. In 29 appearances this season, the 25-year-old rookie netminder has posted an 18-10-1 record with a 2.66 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.
That being said, Hill, who sits at 9-3-1, is expected to start for Vegas.
Facing off for the first time this season, the Panthers and Knights split their two-game season series in 2021-22.
"I think we've carried pressure for a month, and that's a good thing," Maurice said when asked about Florida's current stretch. "You have to learn how to deal with it. We can go into this game and be excited about where we're at on this road trip and look forward to having a great trip."
