The Florida Panthers have had a strong start to their 2024 Stanley Cup Final matchup against the Edmonton Oilers. Florida leads the intense series 2-0. However, the club experienced a concerning injury scare from star center Aleksander “Sasha” Barkov after his exit from Game 2's 4-1 victory. Thankfully, Barkov has recovered and is set to get back on the ice.
Sasha Barkov ready for Panthers return after Game 2 injury scare
Sasha Barkov is expected to play in Game 3, The Athletic's Chris Johnston reports. Hopefully, he can stay healthy and continue being an offensive force for Florida. Through 19 postseason games, Barkov has amassed six goals and 13 assists for 19 points. He came up huge in the Panthers' Game 1 matchup with the Oilers, totaling two goals and two assists to accumulate two points. Barkov attempted to remain stout in Game 2, but his injury held him back.
During the third period, Oilers center Leon Draisaitl hit Barkov in the jaw with his elbow, which caused him to leave the game. As a result, Barkov was not available for the final nine-and-a-half minutes of the match. He finished with two shots on goal.
The Panthers have admirable depth, so if Barkov needed extra recovery time, his team would be capable of holding their own. Anton Lundell and Evan Rodrigues picked up the slack from Barkov's brief absence, notching two points a piece by the end of Monday's matchup. In addition, Florida had five additional players account for one point.
Despite their success, the Panthers know they must remain focused to close out the hungry Oilers.
Edmonton faced a tough road to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Most notably, they endured a seven-game series against the Vancouver Canucks in the second round. Vancouver finished the regular season as the top team in the Pacific Division, but the Oilers upset them. Thus, Florida understands the caliber of competition they face. With the right execution, the Panthers can keep momentum in Game 3.
Florida must stay on its toes for Game 3
The Oilers will enter Game 3 with a vengeance after their slow start. The club understands that the opportunity to win a Stanley Cup Final is rare, so they will give their all to rally. Leon Draisaitl dropped a truth bomb on Edmonton's need to play better after their Game 2 loss.
“We're a really good hockey team that, believe it or not, can play better than [Saturday] night,” Draisaitl told reporters on Sunday. “We have more. We know that. We can play better. They're going to be better, and I expect us to be better as well.”
“We played a good game. Created a lot of good looks for ourselves, especially in the first two periods. Obviously, their goalie had a great night. Those things happen sometimes. But I think if we can do more of the same, more often than not, I think we're giving ourselves a really good chance to win hockey games,” Draisaitl added.
Edmonton may be down, but they are not out. The Panthers must stay focused and come out on top in Game 3 to get closer to the ultimate prize.
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