FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers face uncertainty regarding the availability of their captain, Aleksander Barkov, for Game 3 of their playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
Barkov left Game 2 with 10:09 remaining after being hit by Tampa Bay`s Brandon Hagel. The NHL later announced Hagel would receive a one-game suspension for the hit, which occurred late Thursday night.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice mentioned having multiple potential lineups in mind for Game 3, which is scheduled to be played on home ice in Sunrise, Florida. Florida currently leads the Eastern Conference first-round series 2-0.
When asked about Barkov`s condition, Coach Maurice stated, “He hasn’t been ruled out yet and he hasn’t been cleared.”
Following the hit, Barkov was slow to get up before skating off the ice and not returning to the game. Hagel received a five-minute major penalty for interference on the play.
Barkov is a cornerstone player for the Panthers and has appeared in all 73 of the club`s playoff games since joining the team. He holds franchise playoff records for appearances, assists (43), and points (62), while ranking third in goals (19).
Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues expressed confidence regarding Barkov`s resilience. “He`s a strong guy,” Rodrigues said. “It`s the playoffs. Those things are going to happen. He`ll bounce back and we`ll bounce back as a team.”
Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT.
