Panthers can't overcome plethora of injuries in Stanley Cup Final

LAS VEGAS -- There was no debate about playing Matthew Tkachuk in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Florida Panthers forward was incapable.

Tkachuk broke his sternum in Game 3 and was unavailable for the 9-3 Stanley Cup-clinching win by the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.

He was in too much pain to even consider dressing, even though he scored the winning goal after sustaining the injury in Game 3 and played limited minutes in Game 4, a 3-2 loss at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on Saturday.

"I think he had three of our best chances to score in Game 4, but he couldn't do the things that he can do to finish," Florida coach Paul Maurice said. "He didn't dress himself for [Game 4]. Somebody helped him get his gear on. Somebody tied his skates. Somebody put his sweater on for him.

"[Sunday] when he came in, he was in significant pain. There wasn't really a question on whether he'd be able to play or not. The idea would be if we could let it calm, we might be able to get him to Game 7 [next Monday]."

But the absence of Tkachuk, their scoring leader and straw that stirs the drink for the Panthers, was too much to bear. Forward Grigori Denisenko replaced Tkachuk in his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut. The 22-year-old was minus-3 in 5:57 of ice time.

"It's tough; he's the heart and soul right from the start, " forward Sam Reinhart said of Tkachuk. "You guys all know that. You're all aware of it. For him not to be out there battling with us tonight, that's pretty tough, but that's what happens at this time of year and, like I said, you just give [the Golden Knights] credit. They deserved it."

Florida ran out of steam and allowed seven goals in the final two periods of Game 5 to end a brilliant season on the sourest of notes.

"So many injuries," Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky said. "Guys played through the broken bones and stuff.

"I don't look for the excuses. I give credit to the opponent too. The opponent had a fantastic series. They had good depth."

Tkachuk had 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 20 playoff games, leading the Panthers in scoring after having 109 points (40 goals, 69 assists) in 79-regular-season games.

Tkachuk was just the headliner on a brutal list of injuries.

"I have never seen guys play with what these guys played with," Maurice said.

Defenseman Aaron Ekblad played on a broken foot sustained in the upset of the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference First Round. He also had an oblique injury and popped his shoulder out twice, according to Maurice.

Defenseman Radko Gudas played on a high-ankle sprain sustained in Game 1 of the Final, missing one period instead of six weeks. He also missed time in Game 2 after absorbing a hit from forward Ivan Barbashev.

Bennett sustained an upper-body injury in the second round against the Toronto Maple Leafs that limited his range of motion.

"It is not an excuse," Maurice said. "They don't need one. These guys earned the right. They gave everything they had."

RELATED: [Video: Reflecting on the injuries Tkachuk, Ekblad sustained]

Forward Eetu Luostarinen missed his fifth straight game Tuesday after blocking a shot off his leg in Game 4 of the conference final against the Carolina Hurricanes. Forward Nick Cousins and defenseman Brandon Montour missed practice Monday to nurse injuries but played in Game 5.

"We were dealing with it since the first round," Ekblad said of the injury bug. "There's a lot of guys that played through a lot of stuff and that was tough, for sure."

Maurice said he thinks four players will have to have surgery during the offseason and could miss the start of training camp. It was a hellacious price to pay to come up three wins short of the ultimate goal.

"It is tough; there aren't really any words," Montour said. "I am proud of our group. We couldn't do it, but there is lots to be thankful for. The effort was there all year, and it was just tough at the end.

"We don't how many injuries they had either. You grind all this way, there are bound to be some injuries and guys banged up. Most of the guys are banged up. That is hockey, and it's a grind."