Matthew Tkachuk’s Late Goal Lifts Panthers Past Kings, 2-1
Tkachuk’s third-period goal gave Florida its first regulation win of the season, though Brad Marchand’s injury added to the Panthers’ early concerns.
Matthew Tkachuk gave Florida the finish it needed in Los Angeles, scoring in the third period for a 2-1 win over the Kings on Tuesday. The result closed a difficult West Coast trip with the Panthers’ first regulation victory of the 2026-27 season and sent them home at 2-0-2. Brad Marchand’s injury, however, left the win carrying a familiar concern.
Florida had spent its first three games without taking a lead in regulation. Gustav Forsling supplied the opener’s overtime winner against Carolina, but the Panthers were still looking for a decisive finish after two more games went beyond 60 minutes. Tkachuk’s goal against Los Angeles changed that, turning a tight game into a result the club could take back to Florida.
The timing mattered. The Panthers had already lost captain Aleksander Barkov to a lower-body injury last week, with the team’s reported estimate putting him out for 10 to 12 weeks. Now Marchand left Tuesday’s game after an awkward fall near the net in the second period. Florida got the two points, but another key forward’s availability became the immediate question.
A first regulation win after a taxing trip
Florida’s route through California had tested its ability to recover within games. Against San Jose, the Panthers fell behind 3-0 before rallying to force overtime and earn a point. They then lost 3-2 to Anaheim in another overtime decision after the Ducks scored three times on the power play. Against Los Angeles, Florida faced five Kings power plays of its own, yet came away with the win.
That sequence makes Tkachuk’s late goal more useful as a measure of the group than as a reason to declare the early season settled. The Panthers had shown they could erase a large deficit and stay close in close games. This time, they converted the effort into a regulation result, an important difference for a club that had not yet built a lead that held through the third period.
The victory also offers a steadier starting point for the return to Florida. At 2-0-2, the Panthers had avoided a regulation loss through four games, but the overtime defeats had kept them from banking a full win. Tkachuk’s goal ended that stretch and gave the team a positive result to carry into its home opener against Minnesota.
Marchand’s exit shifts the focus
Marchand was driving toward the net when he was struck in the face by a high stick, drawing a four-minute power play. He then fell awkwardly into the net and sustained a lower-body injury, according to the account of the play. He was helped off the ice. No further diagnosis or timetable was provided, so the extent of the injury remains uncertain.
The timing compounds the concern. Marchand missed Florida’s first two games after offseason surgery, and his departure in Los Angeles came while Barkov was already sidelined. The Panthers have not supplied a new timeline for Marchand in the source account, leaving his status for the next game unresolved.
There’s no simple substitute for either player’s influence. Barkov anchors the team as captain, while Marchand brings scoring and an abrasive presence that can unsettle opponents. Their absence would put more responsibility on the forwards still available, even as the club tries to maintain the pace and structure that carried it through a demanding trip.
Tkachuk provides a useful answer
Florida’s depth is the more encouraging part of the early picture. The Panthers are an older team, and injuries can quickly expose the limits of a roster. The source account argues they have more NHL-level depth than they did during last season’s injury trouble, which could give them options while Barkov is out and the team learns more about Marchand.
Depth won’t reproduce what those veterans do, but it can keep the lineup functional. Tkachuk’s goal showed that another experienced, championship-winning player can take on a defining moment when the game is tight. That is the clearest takeaway from Los Angeles: Florida can get a timely contribution beyond its injured leaders and turn a difficult night into a win.
The Panthers now return for their home opener against Minnesota with a 2-0-2 record and their first regulation win secured. Marchand’s condition will shape the next lineup decisions, while Barkov’s absence remains a longer-term challenge. For now, Tkachuk has given Florida a concrete result to build on—and a reminder that the season’s direction may depend on how well its available veterans share the load.
