Aleksander Barkov suffers lower-body injury after getting smashed onto boards by Jack Drury in Game 3 against Hurricanes
Aleksander Barkov did not return to the bench following his hit by Jack Drury in 1st period of Game 3 against the Hurricanes.
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Jack Drury and Aleksander Barkov [Image Credit: Cardiac Cane/NHL]
Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov left the game early on Monday night after a huge hit from Carolina Hurricanes center Jack Drury. The incident took place during the 1st period of Game 3 as fans gasped in the arena. The Panthers have been performing at their top condition so far, eliminating their opponents consistently.
Barkov’s absence on ice may lead to disrupting the flow of the team. As of now, no updates have been provided on his situation. The player seemed to be preferring his left side while walking down the team tunnel. Furthermore, he did not return to the Panthers bench after medical staff took him to the locker room.
While the hit seemed like a regular check, fans are worried for their captain. It would be a disaster to lose a player like Barkov amidst adrenaline-rushed playoff finals. His return so far has been deemed questionable. The team confirmed that his arm is alright, but the forward may be dealing with a lower-body injury.
Aleksander Barkov did not return to the ice after a hit from Jack Drury
![Aleksander Barkov [Image Credit: Jatkoaika]](https://firstsportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-11-33-1024x768.png)
As of now, Aleksander Barkov ‘Sasha’ has been replaced by 24-year forward Eetu Luostarinen who has recorded 43 points and 17 goals in regular season games. The fans and the team are now holding their breaths to hear confirmation of a good report from the medical team on Sasha.
Barkov is one of the NHL’s top leading scorers and an irreplaceable captain on the Cats side. The Panthers have been amazing this whole playoff season and no one can argue otherwise. They first took care of NHL’s regular season leaders, the Boston Bruins in 3 straight games.
Following up with the elimination of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 4 out of 5 while winning Games 1 and 2 against Carolina Hurricanes. In Game 2, Barkov’s backhanded goal gained immense recognition from ‘The Great One’ Wayne Gretzky. He said that the goal was one of the greatest of all time in playoff history.
Barkov commented that hearing such praise from the hockey legend himself is an honor. His goal in 2nd period tied the Panthers 1-1 against the Hurricanes, setting up Matthew Tkachuk for their OT winner at PNC Arena. Gretzky also complimented Tkachuk for being the “face of the franchise” following his trade by Calgary.
One fun incident to note in Game 3, was one of Hurricanes fan making fun of Nick Cousins’ playoff beard. The chirping was caught on a hot mic as fans enjoyed a little fun timeout. As of now, Barkov has recorded 12 points in 4 goals and 8 assists in 14 playoff games this season.
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Kaushani Chatterjee
(2165 Articles Published)