Tkachuk had an amazing Eastern Conference Final, scoring three game-winning goals including two in overtime

When looking back at the Florida Panthers incredible postseason run that brought them all the way to last season's Stanley Cup Final, there are several shining moments that stand out.

Florida’s journey through the playoff bracket was filled with dramatic games and incredible performances. 

Overtime winners, spectacular goaltending, coaches punching each other in the gut...Florida's march to the Final had a little bit of everything, but there are a few highlights that stand above the rest.

One of those moments came during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Opening their third straight series on the road, Florida was fresh off a stunning five-game defeat of the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 2 and full of confidence for whatever was to come.

For their part, the Hurricanes were feeling just as good after taking down the New Jersey Devils squad in five games, a series in which Carolina surrendered just five goals during their four wins.

As Game 1 in Raleigh took shape, it became clear the teams would be playing a tightly contested match. The Panthers used a pair of late second period goals to take a 2-1 lead into the final frame, but Carolina’s second power play goal of the night would even things up less than four minutes into the third.

From there, the game would remain tied for the next several hours.

Hockey periods began passing by like tumbleweeds. 

As we got into the third and fourth overtimes, it became more and more noticeable that the players were skating with heavy legs, as the pace of the game slowed significantly.

With the clock on the wall approaching 2 a.m. and the final minute of the fourth overtime ticking away, the game appeared destined to become one of the few in NHL history to reach a fifth extra frame.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Matthew Tkachuk sent everyone home.

With about 20 seconds to go in the fourth OT, Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad carried the puck through the neutral zone and dumped it into the Carolina end as he reached the blue line.

Tkachuk skated hard after the puck while Sam Bennett stayed at the halfwall, which worked out perfectly because Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns saw Tkachuk barreling toward him and sent the puck back up the boards, where it was pushed further along by Canes d-man Jaccob Slavin.

Bennett was right next to Slaven and blocked the puck - on his backhand – corralling it on his stick before sliding it toward Tkachuk, who was following the play and curled toward the middle of the ice at just the right moment.

Tkachuk made a quick move with the puck, using Burns as a screen as he fired a shot past the glove of goaltender Frederik Andersen before the veteran goaltender could react.

Game. Set. Match.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP40dEySeSM[/embed]

It was 1:55 a.m. when the puck went in, nearly six hours after the game had begun.

After scoring, Tkachuk made a beeline for the door leading to the Panthers dressing room. He and the rest of his teammates were exhausted and ready to get the hell back to their hotel.

Can you blame them? They had just played in the sixth longest game in NHL history.

Tkachuk would go on to have a monster series, scoring the overtime winner less than two nights later in Game 2, then clinching the series in Game 4 by scoring the clinching goal with under five seconds left in the game.

The amazing performance by the first year Panthers star during the playoffs will be remembered as one of the best and most clutch postseasons in team history, regardless of what happens between now and the end of time. 

It was that good. 

As for what else the 25-year-old may have in store for the Cats…we’ll just have to wait and see.  

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaRAk1Le89A[/embed]