ST. PAUL, Minn. — In an impressive display on Wednesday night, Matthew Tkachuk netted two goals while Sergei Bobrovsky recorded 26 saves, leading the Florida Panthers to a decisive 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild.

Aaron Ekblad contributed significantly with a goal and two assists, marking his second goal of the season. Other Panthers who found the net included Mackie Samoskevich, Niko Mikkola, and Eetu Luostarinen. For Tkachuk, this performance brought his total to 13 goals this season, and he has notably scored eight times over his last eight games.

On the other side, Marco Rossi scored for the Wild, bringing his season tally to 12 goals. Rossi has been in good form since joining the top line alongside Kirill Kaprizov, especially in the absence of Joel Eriksson Ek, who is sidelined due to injury. Rossi has managed to score five times in just nine games since being promoted to this role.

In his milestone 1,004th career start, Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves, surpassing legendary Patrick Roy to stand third all-time in games played by a goaltender. He trails only Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo in this category.

In terms of rosters, the Panthers welcomed back Aleksander Barkov, who returned after missing two games with an illness. Unfortunately for Florida, Sam Bennett was absent from the game due to illness as well. Barkov’s presence alongside Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe proved effective, as they exerted significant pressure in the attacking zone.

Meanwhile, the Wild have struggled lately, having lost four out of their last six games, including two consecutive losses in regulation—a first for this season. Minnesota faced their own set of challenges with goaltender Filip Gustavsson missing his second consecutive game due to a lower-body injury. Additionally, Eriksson Ek has been sidelined for seven games with a similar injury, while defenseman Jake Middleton missed his third game in a row because of an upper-body injury.

One of the pivotal moments of the match came when Tkachuk scored his first goal with just 4:32 left in the second period, following a reversal of a goal due to an offside call. He quickly added a second goal just 3:26 later after returning from a roughing penalty.

The Panthers showcased their physicality in the game, dominating in hits with a 37-21 advantage, and they currently lead the league with a total of 942 hits for the season.

Looking ahead, the Panthers are set to host the St. Louis Blues on Friday, while the Wild will face off against Utah on the same night.