PREVIEW: Panthers will be 'playing free' in do-or-die Game 5 vs. Knights

SUNRISE, Fla. --The Florida Panthers will attempt to keep their season alive when they battle the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.

Staring down a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven series, the Panthers are entering the matchup with their usual laidback demeanor, but also plenty of confidence after having already come back from an identical 3-1 series deficit to defeat the 65-win Boston Bruins back in Round 1.

If the Panthers can find a way in Game 5, they'll head back to South Florida for Game 6.

"You need four to win," Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour said. "The last one is the toughest. We have a good mindset of playing free, playing the right way and sticking to what we're doing great. Each game in [the Boston] series, we focused on that next play or that next big shift or that next game. No matter the outcome, we came to work and search for that win."

The biggest question mark for the Panthers heading into tonight's do-or-die matchup it the status of Matthew Tkachuk. Florida's leader in goals (11), assists (13) and points (24) during the playoffs, the superstar forward will be game-time decision, per head coach Paul Maurice.

After being the victim of a big hit from Vegas forward Keegan Kolesar in Game 3, Tkachuk left the ice for a bit, but returned to score the game-tying goal late in the third period of a 3-2 overtime win. In Game 4, he played just a few shifts in the third period, but was on the ice in the final minutes of an eventual 3-2 loss as Florida's rally fell just a few seconds short.

Whether Tkachuk does play or not, captain Aleksander Barkov said everyone needs to step up.

"He's a huge player for our team," Barkov said of Tkachuk, a finalist for the Hart Trophy. "No matter what, everyone has to step up a little bit and play a little better than we've been. It doesn't matter what happens. As a whole group, we've just got to play a little better. [We have to] shoot more pucks, be more aggressive offensively, do better defensively, all that kind of stuff."

If the Panthers do end up needing to fill any position up front, there's a chance that Grigori Denisenko could get the call. Joining the Panthers on their trip, the promising 22-year-old forward has dished out seven assists in 26 games over parts of three seasons in the NHL.

Selected by the Panthers with the 15th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, Denisenko pieced together his best professional season in 2022-23. Suiting up in 56 games with Florida's AHL affiliate in Charlotte, the gifted Russian posted a career-high 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists).

"It's great to have him here," Panthers defenseman Josh Mahura said of Denisenko, who had been practicing with the team's batch of reserves throughout the playoffs. "I'm sure it's a lot of fun for him to be out there. It brings a lot of fresh energy, for sure."

Between the pipes, Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to get the nod for the Panthers, while Adin Hill will likely man the crease once again for the Knights. Bobrovsky has gone 12-5 with a .924 save percentage in the postseason, while Hill is sitting on a 10-4 record with a .934 save percentage.

Over the past two games, the Panthers have found success at 5-on-5 against Vegas. According to NaturalStatTrick.com, they've led 120-96 in shot attempts and 4-3 in goals in that stretch. In order to get their first win of the series in Sin City, they'll need a similar effort at even strength and continue to limit their time in the penalty box.

Despite having their backs against the wall, the Panthers are ready to push back.

They've already gone farther than most outsiders thought they could, but they're not done yet.

"It's the best time of the year," Panthers defenseman Marc Staal said. "We've enjoyed every second of it, and we're not going to stop now. We've enjoyed being in these pressure-filled moments in these games and we've enjoyed going through them. It's been a lot of fun."

THEY SAID IT

"We've done it before. It's nice to have that to fall back on mentally going into a game like tonight. Obviously we know it's not an easy task, but it's one we've done before. We've come this far. We're going to work as hard as we've ever worked to this point to recreate that."- defenseman Marc Staal

"Just think about one game at a time. That's what we've been doing all postseason. No matter what the score is in the series, we don't really think about that. We just come and play the game. It's no different today." - captain Aleksander Barkov

PLAYOFF LEADERS

Panthers

Goals: Tkachuk (11)

Assists: Tkachuk (13)

Points: Tkachuk (24)

Knights

Goals:Marchessault (13)

Assists: Eichel (17)

Points:Marchessault (24)

PANTHERS PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

Check back closer to puck drop.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

- May 8: F Mackie Samoskevich agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract

HOW TO WATCH

When:Tuesday, June 13 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: T-Mobile Arena - Las Vegas, NV

TV & Streaming:TNT, TBS, truTV, SN, CBC, TVAS

Radio:560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 92.1 WZZR (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); Sirius 138, SiriusXM Channel 220 / App & Streaming 932; NHL App

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