Maurice, Panthers unsure of Tkachuk's status for Game 5 - ESPN

SUNRISE, Fla. — The status of Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk was uncertain after their Game 4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night.

Tkachuk played just 16 minutes, 40 seconds in the 3-2 loss, which moved Vegas one win away from capturing its first Stanley Cup. He was clearly laboring in the game and skated only four shifts during the third period.

«Obviously, you want to be out there playing. Just was able to go out there at the end and tried to make some magic happen late but ran out of time,» Tkachuk said.

Florida coach Paul Maurice wouldn't disclose what was affecting Tkachuk and wouldn't confirm his status for Tuesday's potential elimination game back in Vegas.

«We got two days off to assess that. Get some good rest and we'll make that decision [then],» he said.

What would it take for Tkachuk to miss Game 5?

«That's a tough question. I don't really want to talk about that right now,» said the winger, who leads the Panthers with 11 goals and 13 assists.

It was the second-lowest total ice time for Tkachuk in the playoffs, behind Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, when Tkachuk amassed 22 penalty minutes.

He did very little shooting in warmups and didn't have his usual velocity during Game 4. He did manage four shots on goal on eight shot attempts. But Tkachuk went 10:41 between shifts in the third period as Florida attempted to rally from a 3-0 deficit.

«Matthew's been a grinder his whole life, and he was again tonight. We were just looking and hoping to get into a situation where he could use what he had to give us and hopefully get on the power play a little earlier, I guess, than certainly at the end of the game,» Maurice said.

The Panthers earned their only power play of the game with just under