5 TAKEAWAYS: Panthers 4, Capitals 2

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Paul Maurice couldn't find the words.
With their playoff hopes hanging in the balance and the game deadlocked in the third period, Matthew Tkachuk scored the go-ahead goal with just one minute left on the clock to lift the Florida Panthers to a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Saturday.
"I don't even know how to describe that man," Maurice said. "He's just a gamer. He's so focused when he gets to the rink. He's not distracted by anything. … You start to get the sense that you're hanging around a little bit of greatness there, right? Big game, big goal. He's done it all year."
In control of their playoff destiny with just two games left in the season, the Panthers (42-31-7) currently have the same number of points as the New York Islanders (41-30-9) and one more point than the Pittsburgh Penguins (40-30-10) in a three-way battle for just two wild-card spots.
For a quick recap of the game, click
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To read up on five key takeaways for the Cats, continue below.

1. NO BAD SHOTS

I hope voters for the Hart Trophy saw this one.
Erupting with raw emotion after the red light went off, Tkachuk provided the heroics for the Panthers in Washington when he cut off a clearing attempt along the boards and fired a long shot straight past Charlie Lindgren to make it 3-2 with just a minute remaining in regulation.

"I just kind of threw it on net," Tkachuk said. "I knew there wasn't much time. No shot's a bad shot. It just paid off. I don't know how it went in, but it went in. We needed that one very bad."
With that clutch goal, Tkachuk became just the third player in franchise history to register 40 goals in a season, joining Carter Verhaeghe (2022-23) and Pavel Bure (1999-00 and 2000-01).
Also dishing out a pair of assists against the Capitals, Tkachuk increased his team-leading and career-high point total to 108. Off to an historic start to his career with the Panthers, that total stands as the fifth-most points by a player in their first season with a franchise in NHL history.
But for Tkachuk, the only points that matter right now are the ones in the standings.
"Goals, points, throw all that out the door," said Tkachuk, who's tallied franchise-record 14 three-point games in 2022-23. "This is about as big as it gets. Each player is putting their stuff aside like we have been all year. The mood in the locker room is so fun right now. We're playing for each other."

2. A DOMINANT THIRD

Tkachuk's goal highlighted an incredibly strong third period for the Panthers.
Coming out of the second intermission knowing their season was potentially on the line, they owned huge advantages in shot attempts (31-6) and scoring (22-1) over the final 20 minutes.
"The pressure is building in our room as that games goes on," Maurice said. "You're tied going into the third, so you're watching for that reaction to that pressure. We were really good in the third. That was our best by far. We pushed hard."
For roughly a 16-minute span in the period, the Panthers didn't even give up a shot on goal.
"I think [we had] a little more urgency," said Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, who added an empty-net goal to lock in the 4-2 final with 40 seconds remaining on the clock. "We had an aggressive mindset coming in. We were able to hang in there and get the go-ahead one late."
Making life easier on their goaltender, the Panthers also did a great job of winning the battle at both nets in the third period, finishing with a 10-0 advantage in high-danger shot attempts.

3. LYON'S RUN CONTINUES

Speaking of goaltending, Alex Lyon just keeps on going.
With 22 saves against the Capitals, he extended his winning streak to six games. Never allowing more than two goals during his streak, he's turned aside 194 of 203 shots for a stellar .956 save percentage. Since his run began on March 29, no goaltender in the NHL has posted more saves.
Tkachuk described Lyon's streak as "a jolt of energy" for the locker room.
"He's probably one of the main reasons we've been able to turn this around," Tkachuk said of Lyon, who's only appeared in 37 NHL games in his career. "We're very lucky to have him. We're trying to play as best we can in front of him because we know he's giving it all in net for us."
Making five high-danger saves against the Capitals, Lyon's biggest stop of the game came in the second period when he robbed Sonny Milano on an uncontested shot from the bottom of the right circle.
After facing 37 high-danger shots in his last two starts, Lyon saw just seven in Washington.
"If we give our goaltender a chance to win the game, he's going to help us do that," Maurice said. "We helped him in the third. He had to make a couple saves there in the second that were really important. We have a completely different pressure dynamic in our room than in theirs."

4. EK IT OUT

Just like Lyon, Aaron Ekblad has also had a hot hand.
Extending his point streak to a career-long seven games, the 27-year-old defenseman put the Panthers on top 2-1 in the second period when he cashed in on a rebound on the power play.

During his streak, Ekblad has logged two goals and six assists.
"He got pulled off the power play about three weeks ago, and when he went back on he was a big part," Maurice said. "We've scored in every game we've needed to, and he's been a big part."
Not just chipping in on offense, Ekblad has also been playing stout defense. Since his streak began on March 27, the Panthers have led 128-106 in shot attempts and 5-2 in goals when he's been deployed on the ice at 5-on-5. In Washington, he posted a 56.67 CF% at even strength.
In 69 games this season, Ekblad has notched 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists).

5. BIG GAMES IN SUNRISE

The path to the playoff goes through Sunrise.
With 80 games down and just two more to go in the regular season, the Panthers will host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday and the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday at FLA Live Arena.
In control of their own destiny, the Panthers can go 1-0-1 and punch their ticket with certainty.
If they suffer a regulation loss in either game, they'll need a little help.
"We're back on home ice, which we love," Tkachuk said of the team's final playoff push. "Our fans better be ready because we're ready to do something special here, and we need their help."
Always bringing their A-game on home ice, the Panthers have been playing some great hockey in their own barn as of late. Dating back to March 1, they've posted a 7-3-1 record at home while outscoring the opposition 42-32. Of those 42 goals, a team-high 12 have come from Tkachuk.
"We're going to have to play our best hockey of the year," Maurice said.
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