Barkov back on ice for the Panthers, who lead 2-0 in Cup final thanks to scoring from unsung heroes
Florida captain Aleksander Barkov practiced again after being knocked out of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final in the third period after Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl launched toward him and hit him in the head
By Alanis Thames
Published - Jun 12, 2024, 03:49 PM ET
Last Updated - Jun 12, 2024, 03:49 PM EDT
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Paul Maurice was in a much better mood Wednesday.
The Florida Panthers coach admitted the previous day that he was “grumpy” after Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, despite a dominant victory over the Edmonton Oilers that gave his team a 2-0 series lead.
That was mostly because of the unknown status of Aleksander Barkov, Florida's captain who was knocked out of the game midway through the third period after Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl launched toward him and hit him in the head.
Barkov, who is tied with Matthew Tkachuk with a team-leading 19 points in the postseason, practiced with the team Wednesday morning ahead of the Florida's trip to Edmonton for Game 3.
