If the Florida Panthers are to have a shot to upset the division-leading Boston Bruins on Sunday afternoon, one thing is for certain -- top scorer Brady Tkachuk needs to stay hot.

The 2026-27 acquisition scored twice in a 4-3 losing effort at Washington on Saturday, but still took over the team lead in goals (10) from teammates Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe (each with 9).

What stuck out on Saturday was the way Brady found the net. Both scores came from right next to the goal -- a place Brady has become comfortable in the past 12 games (he has 10 goals and 19 points).

"They're just kinda laying in the paint there for me, and it's a sign I gotta get near the net more," Brady said. "Sometimes it's easier to get on the outside and try and play a game like that, but I think for a lot of us the most success we have is when we're at the net banging those pucks in."

On Saturday afternoon, Brady's first goal came after he charged the net and punched in a rebound past goalie Logan Thompson. His second goal was even more deft -- he corralled a loose puck near the post and lifted it just underneath the roof of the net.

The second goal came on the power play, where Brady and the entire team have excelled after a slow start. Washington’s forward Tom Wilson was assessed a game misconduct for a hit from behind on Sandis Vilmanis. Vilmanis is unlikely to play Sunday against Boston, leaving Florida another injury to go along with captain Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand. The Panthers are hoping Anton Lundell, who missed Saturday's game, can return Sunday at Boston.

Both of Brady's goals were assisted by brother Matthew, who keeps racking up the assists, and leads the Panthers with 21. Matthew has actually assisted on six of Brady's 10 goals, and Matthew's 21 helpers is good for second in the NHL behind Edmonton's Connor McDavid (who has an impressive 34).

Defenseman Seth Jones has 17 assists, but leads the Panthers in time on ice. His average TOI? 24:48 per game.

Driving Force

But back to Brady. He recorded his third multi-goal game Saturday and has excelled since coach Paul Maurice placed him on the same line with Matthew and Sam Bennett up front. Brady also has 9 assists to go along with his 10 goals. The Panthers will need his recent scoring spree to continue, as well as another strong performance from the defense (less turnovers please), and a shutdown performance from Jacob Markstrom to defeat the Atlantic-leading Boston Bruins. Boston (12-4-1) has won seven of its last 10.

If you're the Panthers (9-6-2), it would also be nice to notch a win against an Atlantic division opponent, something that has alluded Florida in 2026-27.