Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk had to be helped off the ice and taken to the locker room following a collision with Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov during Monday night’s game.

Florida Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk exited with a lower-body injury after a knee-on-knee collision with Tampa Bay Lightning star forward Nikita Kucherov on Monday night in Sunrise, Fla.

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk had to be helped off the ice and taken to the locker room following a first-period collision with Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov during Monday's game, but he later returned in the second period to a standing ovation.

Tkachuk took a knee-on-knee hit from Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov and immediately went to the ice, clutching his right leg. He needed help skating off the ice and getting to the Panthers locker room,

: Tkachuk is back! Florida Panthers superstar Matthew Tkachuk has left tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning after taking a brutal knee on knee hit from Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov has been assessed a five minute Major penalty and a game misconduct for the hit.