Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk scored three points in a 5-2 win over the Penguins on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.
The 26-year-old skater scored a goal and was an accomplice in the success of Aaron Ekblad and the first of two goals by Anton Lundell.
This increased Tkachuk's point total to 59 in 53 games so far in 2023-2024. It was also the sixth time in his season and the 52nd time in his career that he scored at least three points in a game.
• Also read: Alex Belzile recalled by Rangers
• Also read: “I was never that kind of player” – Brendan Gallagher
The Panthers' other scorer was Jonah Gadjovich, while Evan Rodrigues stood out with two assists.
For the Florida club it is the third win in a row and the seventh win in the last eight games.
The Penguins suffered their third straight defeat. Bryant Rust and John Ludvig scored against the Panthers. In the second case it was his first career goal in the National League. The 23-year-old defender played his 21st game there.
Striker Jake Guentzel also left the game less than 12 minutes before the end of the final period. In a postgame press conference, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said his player was being evaluated for an upper-body injury.
In front of the cages, Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves in the win, while Tristan Jarry stopped 18 pucks in the loss.
The Pens will try to return to victory with a visit to the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday evening. On the same day, the Panthers take on the Sabers in Buffalo.