Brady and Matthew Tkachuk lead Florida Panthers past Blues 4-1 after honoring Hall of Fame father
Brady and Matthew Tkachuk helped lead the Florida Panthers to a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night, hours after participating in a pregame ceremony honoring their father, newly inducted Hockey Hall of Famer Keith Tkachuk.
Brady Tkachuk scored the opening goal, and both brothers recorded assists as they played together in their hometown for the first time in the NHL.
Dmitry Kulikov, Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart also scored for Florida, while goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 23 saves.
The victory came on a special night for the Tkachuk family. Keith Tkachuk, who finished his 18-year NHL career with the Blues, was recognized before the game for his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame last weekend.
During the ceremony, Brady and Matthew used two of their father's old hockey sticks for a ceremonial puck drop.
Tkachuk brothers spark Panthers' early lead
Brady Tkachuk opened the scoring just 5:12 into the first period, beating St. Louis goaltender Joel Hofer on the glove side during an extended power play.
Matthew Tkachuk earned the secondary assist after drawing a high-sticking penalty that gave Florida a 5-on-3 advantage following an earlier too-many-men penalty against the Blues.
Both brothers remained on the ice for more than three minutes during the overlapping power plays. Brady celebrated his goal by pumping his fist and backing into the glass.
The Panthers doubled their lead just 77 seconds later when Kulikov's shot from the point deflected off Blues defenseman Colton Parayko and slipped between Hofer's legs.
It was Kulikov's first goal of the season.
Florida extended its advantage to 3-0 at 3:28 of the second period when Lundell scored off a rebound from Brady Tkachuk's shot.
Reinhart added the Panthers' fourth goal after stealing the puck in the offensive zone and maneuvering between three defenders before beating Hofer, who finished with 24 saves.
Blues avoid shutout with late goal
St. Louis avoided a shutout when Dylan Holloway scored on the power play with 2:06 remaining in regulation.
The Blues had narrowly avoided being shut out in regulation in their previous game, defeating Utah 1-0 in a shootout Thursday night.
Florida's dominant performance capped an emotional homecoming for the Tkachuk brothers, who celebrated their father's Hall of Fame recognition before making their own impact on the ice.
What's next for the Panthers?
The Panthers will travel to Dallas to face the Stars on Sunday.
The Blues will return home to host the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.