Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk out for do-or-die Game 5 vs. Golden Knights

The Florida Panthers will have to keep their season alive without the services of superstar winger Matthew Tkachuk.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice told Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas that Tkachuk isn't healthy enough to play in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. Florida trails the best-of-seven series 3-1.

The exact nature of the injury was not disclosed.

Tkachuk leads the Panthers in goals (11) and points (24) during the playoffs. He has authored an incredible postseason run, posting four game-winning goals, with three of them coming in overtime.

The 25-year-old played just 16:40 in Florida's Game 4 loss to Vegas, which marked his second-lowest number of the postseason. He logged only four shifts in the third period of that contest.

Despite the sizeable hole in their lineup, the Panthers aren't panicking.

“We haven’t been healthy all year,” Florida forward Anthony Duclair said on Monday before word of Tkachuk's absence. “So I mean, to be honest, a lot of people have stepped up in the right moments all season long and done a great job and that’s why we’re here in this position right now.

“We’re all very confident, and whoever is playing we know we got a lot of depth on this team, we got a lot of confidence. We showed that in the first round, and I think that’s definitely gonna help us confidence-wise."

Here's how the Panthers will line up for Game 5: