EDMONTON — That goal, in a word, was an Aleksandr Barkov goal.
With the game tied at 0-0, the reigning Selke Trophy winner reminded the hockey world, and the Edmonton Oilers in particular, that he's not a one-trick pony, defensive-minded player.
You can almost hear the praise coming from Florida Panthers teammate Evan Rodriguez.
“Wins the puck battle in his own zone. Doesn't try to make any fancy plays. Just gets the puck up the wall. Gets past (defenseman Evan Bouchard). Gets forward. Finds the late guy (Gustav Forsling). And puts it in the back of the net (from Sam Reinhart).”
“The playoffs are simple, and he's done a great job for us throughout the playoffs.”
Reinhart scored the opening goal, but Barkov played a key role in the run-up. pic.twitter.com/7ujHltAkEc
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) June 14, 2024
And in the end?
The Panthers captain, who had seen plenty of ups and downs with the Panthers during his 11 NHL seasons, would later tie a franchise record by scoring his fourth playoff game-winning goal.
Not bad for a player who was feared to have a concussion after being hit in the face by Leon Draisaitl's arm midway through the third period of Game 2 on Monday night, and who was rumored to have a broken jaw the next day.
But that wasn't the case. Barkov practiced on Wednesday and looked his usual “complete player” self in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The win puts the Panthers on the brink of back-to-back championships and puts Barkov one win away from becoming the first player in a Panthers uniform to hoist the Cup in the franchise's 31-year history.
The Panthers break through the puck and Barkov quickly makes it 4-1. pic.twitter.com/E8enjcqozo
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) June 14, 2024
“He means everything to us,” teammate Matthew Tkachuk said. “He's our captain, he's our leader. Nobody wants to see him go down late in Game 2, down one point, but it was good to see him come in and play tonight. I thought he was really good — just like he has been throughout the playoffs and all season.”
“You never want to go into a game without your captain,” Rodriguez added, “I mean, we were ready to go no matter what. But, of course, it was great to have him there.”
The Panthers' all-time leader in nearly every regular-season category and all-time playoff scoring leader, he recorded his eighth multi-point game in the playoffs, setting a Panthers record for most multi-point games in a single postseason game.
It was when he was 17 years old.Number His career multi-point games in the playoffs are tied with Teemu Selanne and Sebastian Aho for fifth-most among Finnish-born players.
In 5-on-5 situations through two periods before the Oilers tried to fight back in the third, Barkov dominated, giving the Panthers 87% of the expected goal share in his minutes, per Natural Stats Trick. The Panthers were 0-for-2 with goals when Barkov was on the ice at even strength, and after going head-to-head primarily with Connor McDavid in Games 1 and 2 in Florida and holding the superstar scoreless, Barkov went head-to-head with Draisaitel for five minutes in Game 3.
During that time, the Panthers held a 7-3 edge in shots on goal, 4-2 in shots on goal and a 60 percent advantage in expected goals share. Barkov had two hits and won 9 of 13 faceoffs.
“He plays the game the right way,” said Sam Bennett, who scored the Panthers' third goal. “It's really special to see him play with that kind of commitment. Not only is he talented offensively, but he's also committed defensively to shutting down guys and blocking shots. When you have an All-Star captain playing like that, it rubs off on everyone in the locker room.”
Added Carter Verhaeghe: “He's our best player and he's shown that throughout the playoffs. He's really good, blocking shots, making big plays and big goals. I can't say enough about Burkey. He's our leader and we just try to follow him.”
“Players say that about their captains all the time, but especially about Barkov. As a teammate, when you see your captain and your best player take so much care protecting the puck, it just makes you want to do the same.”
The Panthers are the best defensive team in the league and their captain is the best defender in the league.
“Some of the games he's played this year where he's had the most impact haven't shown up on the scoreboard,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said, “and his talent is he defines the play for everybody else. Barkov is like, 'This is what I'm going to do. This is how I'm going to play.'”
“His consistency in that game and how many nights he has where he’s not necessarily on the scoreboard, it makes everybody on the bench think, ‘Wow, this guy is a great player.’ That’s his gift to us.”
The Panthers were businesslike and calm after Thursday's win, even as they could taste, smell and know they were within striking distance of winning the Stanley Cup.
That's also Barkov's character.
He's Mr. Calm, and he was that way again after his 102nd game of the season.
“We have a chance, but I'm not going to think about it,” he said. “Don't think about it. Just take every moment as it comes. Now we have to enjoy this win. We fought really hard today and it was a good win. We're just going to enjoy this win. We need to recover (Friday) and be ready for the game. That's it. Don't think too far ahead.”
Unless, that is, Game 103 ends up being the Panthers' final game and ends with a silver trophy hoisted high above Barkov's head.
(Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
