SUNRISE -- The Canucks had the Panthers reeling early Thursday.
After Panthers goaltender Akira Schmid let in two soft goals, Florida trailed 2-0 in the second period. The Panthers blistering power play unit from the prior two games had returned to its lackluster form.
Then the third period started.
And Brady Tkachuk caught fire again.
The Panthers' star acquisition, who had broken through with a natural hat trick in the prior game, all on assists from his brother Matthew, Now, with under nine minutes, Brady got his first of this night. Again, his brother assisted. The crowd inside Amerant Bank Arena went nuts, as there was some hope again.
Even so, it looked like it might be in a losing effort. Just 13 seconds remained in regulation, when Brady scored again. Panther point secured. Overtime. When literally anything can happen.
And Brady happened again.
He was in the faceoff circle at center ice to kick off overtime. He went right towards the Vancouver net but couldn't convert. Sam Reinhart also took a shot at the net and that just missed. Another shift for Brady. And then another goal, for his second straight natural hat trick.
He's only the third Florida Panther player in franchise history to score two back to back natural hat tricks.
And he's done it now, in his first month with the team, after an offseason acquisition that stunned the NHL.
The quick turnaround has been remarkable, and it's come at the ideal time, considering that the Panthers are currently without two star forwards for several weeks -- captain Sasha Barkov and veteran winger Brad Marchand.
Oct 15, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Brady Tkachuk (8) celebrates with center Sam Reinhart (13) after scoring the winning goal against the Vancouver Canucks during overtime at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It's worth noting that Brady's first five games of the 2026/2027 season had him recording 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points and a -3 on the plus/minus rating scale. In the last three games, he's recorded a total of 10 points.
A lot of fans on social media and elsewhere were doubting his ability to contribute to the team, but after the last few games, he has very quickly proven his worth on Paul Maurice's roster. It appears that the missing piece so far has been solved by putting both Tkachuk brothers and Sam Bennett on the same line, which Maurice was hesitant to say the least leading up to the start of the season.
Now, it seems, that will continue -- and we will see if Brady's blazing play will as well.
The next game for the Florida Panthers will be on Saturday, October 17th against the Seattle Kraken at 6 PM.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/panthers/onsi as Brady Tkachuk Dominates Again, Makes Some Panthers History in Win .
