Florida Panthers Matthew Tkachuk records first point of season in shootout win vs Jets

It came on a Sam Bennett one-timer, with Tkachuk picking up the primary assist as the dam finally broke.

Florida waited 47 games just to get him into the lineup after his Aug. 22 surgery rehab.

His season debut against San Jose had plenty of noise, but no points.

Now the zero is gone, and the tension changes fast.

Tkachuk's whole thing is chaos, not quiet production.

He got his first point of the season in just his second game back, and that's exactly why Panthers fans exhaled.

The room wants it to turn into a habit fast, because once Tkachuk sees one go on the sheet, the confidence usually follows in bunches.

Yes, he brings the intensity every single shift, chirps nonstop, gets under skin, and can drag opponents into dumb penalties.

But Florida needs the offensive production too, the primary assists, the greasy goals, and the top-six punch that swings games.

The play itself fits the brand, Tkachuk pulls coverage, Bennett unloads, and the puck's gone before the goalie sets.

That one sequence also hints at the next step, getting him back into the top-six rhythm.

If he's on Bennett's flank consistently, that pairing can bully shifts and tilt the ice.

It also helps the man advantage, because Tkachuk turns a standard power play into a scrum in front.

Florida's record sits at 25-20-3, and the margin in the Atlantic is never comfortable.

That's why a «first point» isn't just a stat, it's the start of the catch-up sprint.

The Panthers won an extremely tight one against the Jets in the shootout, and that wild, high-octane 3-on-3 overtime felt like it was played on fast-forward.

In games that are that thin, where one bounce or one read decides everything, stars don't just «show up», they tilt the result.

That's where a player like Matthew Tkachuk can shine, because he's built for the moment, and built to drag a team over the finish line when legs are heavy and nerves are louder than the crowd.

Minnesota is next.