Will Matthew Tkachuk play in Game 5? Panthers coach keeping quiet

Conspicuously present: The wry sense of humor coach Paul Maurice employs to relax the Panthers in the face of elimination.

“We laugh an awful lot in the coaches’ office because we think we’re really funny,” Maurice said. “We tell jokes that only we get, then we laugh at the players who don’t get those jokes. Laughter is a big part of what we do.

“We’re stupid,” he added. “And that’s a big part of it.”

Maurice revealed that after Florida’s 45-minute skate inside the venue they will return to Tuesday for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Golden Knights, whom they trail 3-1. What he wouldn’t reveal was the playing status of Tkachuk, whose Game 3 collision with Knights wing Keegan Kolesar has seemingly hampered his shoulder — thereby limiting his effectiveness.

Whatever the injury is obviously affected the bruising forward in Game 4, leaving Maurice supposedly unsure if he will play in Game 5.

Asked if Tkachuk traveled and if Maurice noticed any improvement in his condition, the coach paused momentarily before offering a sly reply.

“I saw it on the plane yesterday,” he said, garnering laughter from a room of reporters.

Also among the absent Monday were defensemen Brandon Montour and Radko Gudas, though practice was optional, Maurice said. A decision on their playing status “will be tomorrow,” Maurice said.

“You’ll get all that big information tomorrow night,” he added.

If Tkachuk, Montour and Gudas don’t play, don’t expect the Panthers to vary their approach. Veteran forward Eric Staal noted Florida has played without key players throughout the season, maintaining confidence in the depth upon which the team has relied.

“We grinded all year. We won some key games at key times with important pieces out of our lineup,” said Staal, 38 and a Stanley Cup champion in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes.

“However we look (in Game 5), I know we’ll have confidence in who we are. … We’re excited for a good rest tonight.”

The requisite trust the Panthers have in one another began developing “months and months ago,” said Maurice, who vaguely referenced the 14 games missed by standout center Aleksander Barkov. “You’ve had your people out of your lineup and important people out of the lineup, and you’ve found ways to be successful. So you have that belief.

“But, being that everybody is playing tomorrow as of today — we don’t have to worry about it,” he said amid more laughter.

The Panthers are attempting to join the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs as the only teams in NHL history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Final.

Florida overcame a 3-1 deficit in the first round against the Boston Bruins, who set an NHL record for points in a season.

“For me, personally, I’ve been on the other side of it in a Stanley Cup Final where you’re up 3-1,” Staal said. “It’s not easy. There’s some pressure there. There’s a lot of variables that go with it. Family. Friends. The Cup in the building. Your mind can wander. For us, it’s just about winning tomorrow night, enjoying the game and playing as hard as we can.

“That’s our focus. That’s all it can be.”

Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.