Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk, who missed the last 25 games of the regular season due to injury, scored a pair of goals in his return as Florida beat Tampa Bay in Game 1 of the opening round.

Matthew Tkachuk had two power-play goals and an assist in his first game after a two-month absence and the Florida Panthers opened defense of their Stanley Cup title with a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night in the first game of the first-round playoff series.

Matthew Tkachuk was back for the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night, and he made sure the Tampa Bay Lightning knew all about it. Tkachuk, playing in his first game for the Panthers since Feb. 8, scored a pair of power-play goals in Florida’s three-goal second in a 6-2 win over the Lightning in