Florida Panthers declare Matthew Tkachuk’s trick shot ‘Goal of the year’

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29 March 2026 at 23:00

The 2025-26 NHL season has been one to forget for the Florida Panthers and star forward Matthew Tkachuk.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions sit in last place in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division. Florida will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2018-19.

For his part, Tkachuk has been limited to 25 games after recovering from surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia. He recorded 27 points, including 12 goals.

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But for one glorious moment on Saturday, March 28, Tkachuk made a move for the ages.

During a road game against the New York Islanders, Tkachuk snagged a loose puck in front of the New York net. In one motion, he slipped the puck between his legs and into the air, beating Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin in the upper left corner of the net.

The Panthers shared video of the move on their X account with the caption, “Goal of the year? Goal of the year.”

Tkachuk scored his second goal of the first period on the highlight-reel move to give Florida a 2-0 lead.

But, like many good things that happen to Florida this season, the advantage didn’t hold up. The Islanders scored five goals in the second period and cruised to the 5-2 victory.

New York is playoff position, standing second in the Metropolitan Division with eight games to play. Florida visits the New York Rangers on March 29.