Matthew Tkachuk to be a last-minute scratch tonight

After a tough loss on Monday night to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Florida Panthers are scratching their biggest star Matthew Tkachuk for a back-to-back.

The Florida Panthers now find themselves two points back of top spot in the Atlantic Division with the loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and now, they will be shorthanded against another division rival on Monday.

Just hours before a showdown with the Montreal Canadiens on the road, the Florida Panthers have revealed that superstar winger Matthew Tkachuk will be scratched.





A season ago, Florida's Stanley Cup hopes were dashed by brutal injuries suffered by Tkachuk, and now, it appears as though they may be playing it safe with a playoff spot already clinched. With a four point edge on Toronto for second spot in the Atlantic, Florida won't want to give up second place in the division, and with the talent they have, they still come into this matchup as favorites, so this may ultimately be a smart play to keep Tkachuk healthy ahead of what they hope is another long Stanley Cup push.