Florida Panthers Confirm Aleksander Barkov's Status Ahead Of Game 3 of Battle of Florida
Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice shared a crucial update on Aleksander Barkov in a press conference ahead of the third game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The rivalry between the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning has never been higher. They've met in the playoffs many times in recent years and are now used to facing each other at this time of the year.
On Thursday night, during the second game of the Battle of Florida, Brandon Hagel landed a solid hit to the head of Aleksander Barkov.
Both players skated with speed in the Panthers' zone, and while Barkov didn't have control of the puck, Hagel hit him with the shoulder. The Panthers' captain fell on the ice and needed some time to get up on his own.
Referees handed down a five-minute penalty to Hagel for the hit.
Check out how it happened in the video below:
Then, yesterday, the NHL's Department of Player Safety didn't waste time announcing they would review the incident.
Read their official statement here:
After the game, concerns grew about Barkov's health. He has dealt with concussions in the past, and after such a solid hit to the head, some fans were worried the captain would need to step away from the ice to recover.
The Panthers' forward Anton Lundell opened up on Barkov, saying the team never wants him out of the lineup, but they have to be able to step up if it happens:
"He means everything. He's our captain, he's our leader. Obviously, we never want to have him out of the lineup, but at the same time, we've got to be able to step up. ... He's been carrying us the whole season. We owe him that, you know, to step up and make sure the job is taken care of."
Paul Maurice shares update on Barkov ahead of game 3
The Panthers and the Lightning will face off for the third time of the series at 1 p.m. ET.
In his pre-game comments, he shared good news related to Barkov, saying the captain should be able to play today, but an official decision will be made at the warmups:
The Florida Panthers have now confirmed Barkov's official status ahead of Game Three of the Battle of Florida.
This is great news for the Panthers as they look to take a strong hold of the series and go up 3-0 in this afternoon's game.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 26 | 145 ANSWERS Florida Panthers Confirm Aleksander Barkov's Status Ahead Of Game 3 of Battle of Florida Do you think the Florida Panthers could win a Stanley Cup without Aleksander Barkov? | ||
| Yes | 39 | 26.9 % |
| No | 106 | 73.1 % |
| List of polls | ||