Florida Panthers star Aleksander Barkov left Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes in the very first period. Head coach Paul Maurice was asked for a status update, but reporters didn't exactly get a straightforward response.

Barkov left with a lower-body injury halfway through the first period after clearing the puck from his own zone. Hurricanes forward Jack Drury delivered a light check before Barkov left the ice.

After the game, Maurice couldn't make it any more clear he wasn't providing an update on his captain. “He's at a bar mitzvah. His neighbor had a bar mitzvah and he didn't want to disappoint the kids,” the Panthers coach joked.

Maurice is clearly disingenuous here. However, it may be of comfort for Panthers fans to see Maurice answer this in good spirits. Perhaps that bodes well for Barkov's chances of returning to the ice soon.

The Panthers pulled off a massive win in Game 3 even without their captain. Sam Reinhart scored the team's only goal as Sergei Bobrovsky stood on his head to post a shutout.

With their victory in Game 3, the Panthers are now on the brink of the Stanley Cup Finals. The team has not made the finals since their first playoff appearance in 1996. They lost to the Colorado Avalanche that year.

The Panthers return to the ice in front of their home fans for a crucial Game 4. They will certainly face a desperate and hungry Hurricanes team who will want to avoid the embarrassment of a four-game sweep. Especially since Carolina has lost their last 11 Conference Finals games dating back to 2009.