“Absolutely love this,” NHL Twitter goes INSANE as Radko Gudas gets taken out by Ivan Barbashev in Game 2 between Panthers and Golden Knights
The Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights saw Radko Gudas leave the field early on following a hit by Ivan Barbashev.
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A snap of the moment between Ivan Barbashev and Radko Gudas (Sporting News)
The 2023 Stanley Cup finals are well and truly underway. The anticipated match-up between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers will decide who gets their hands on the trophy. With the Golden Knights taking Game 1, the pressure was on the Cats to deliver. However, their chances of winning it all took a massive hit on Monday, as defenseman Radko Gudas had to leave the field in Game 2, following a collision with Ivan Barbashev of the Golden Knights.
The incident occurred earlier very early in the game. Whether it was intentional or not is up for debate. In the footage though it can be seen that Barbashev took out Gudas against the boards in the early stages of the first period. The Panthers defenseman did manage to pick himself up and walked down the changing rooms.
The tensions were clearly felt during the game. Any finals is a nervous point and things can boil over quickly. After this incident, there was some pushing around by a few Panthers and Golden Knights players, but luckily it did not flare up another brawl. The playoffs this season have seen several fights break out.
Gudas, the physical player for the Panthers, has been a crucial member of the team. This season he ranked second in NHL with 312 hits. This was only bettered by Luke Schenn, who managed 318 hits. The Panthers later announced in the second period that he will not be returning to take any further part in this game.
Related: What it costs to experience the heart-stopping battle of Vegas-Panthers live
Radko Gudas absence felt by Panthers as Golden Knights crush them 7-2 to take Game 2
An injury to an important player in a major game is the last thing a team wants. The Florida Panthers however had to deal with this unfortunate scenario as Radko Gudas was declared unfit to continue the game. His absence on the field was clearly felt as the Cats were hammered away 7-2 by the Golden Knights. This result has now given them a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
When asked if he has any updates, Coach Paul Maurice just shook his head. He admitted that they certainly missed him in the game. “The quality of his play is very, very high, so you miss a guy like that when he goes out,” Paul said. Here are some reactions from Twitter regarding this potential tie-changing moment.
Unfortunately or not, the Panthers will have to regroup quickly if they were to save their season. They are now two games down in the series and will have to make a strong comeback if they were to take the Stanley Cup to Florida. The third game of this enthralling series will take place on Thursday night in Vegas. The hosts would be hoping for another win which puts them in a winning position.
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