Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk of Scottsdale, Arizona continued to shine in the National Hockey League on Monday, in the Panthers’s first game after they hosted the 2023 NHL All-Star Game on Saturday. Tkachuk, who was the NHL All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, had s sensational game last night in a 7-1 Panthers romp over the reigning Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Tkachuk had two goals and three assists for five points. In the process, he became the second player ever to have a minimum of five points in a regular season game in the first game played immediately after being named NHL All-Star MVP. The first was Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1988.
Five points against the Lightning
Tkachuk had two goals and three assists, was a +5 with one power play point, and six shots on goal. He picked up the lone assist on a goal by Carter Verhaeghe of Toronto, Ontario at 8:04 of the first period to open the scoring. Tkachuk then had a primary assist on the game-winning goal by Sam Bennett of Holland Landing, Ontario at 1:42 of the second period to put the Panthers up 2-0.
Tkachuk then scored at 8:40 of the second period from Bennett and Verhaeghe to put the Panthers up 3-1, and then set up Verhaeghe at 5:26 of the third period to put the Panthers up 6-1. Tkachuk then scored on the power play from Bennett and Aaron Ekblad of Windsor, Ontario at 14:23 of the third period to close out the scoring.
NHL All-Star Game
Tkachuk had four goals and three assists for seven points in two 20-minute mini-games. In the semifinal, the Atlantic Division beat the Metropolitan Division 10-6, and in the final beat the Central Division 7-5.
Mario Lemieux
On February 9, 1988 in St. Louis, Lemieux of Montreal, Quebec was named the NHL All-Star Game MVP as the Wales Conference beat the Campbell Conference 6-5. Lemieux had three goals and three assists for six points, including the overtime winner. Lemieux then had one goal and five assists for six points on February 13, 1989 in a 7-5 Pittsburgh win over the Los Angeles Kings.
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