Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov Has Carried the Cats
By Luke Kendall
As the push for the playoffs increases in intensity, Aleksander Barkov is playing the best hockey of his young career. Recently, he has provided offense in key spots and made clutch defensive plays to lead the Florida Panthers to a late-season surge.
Over the past few weeks, the Florida Panthers have played their best hockey of the season (minus losses to Edmonton and Ottawa). A large part of that is due to their superstar making superstar plays at both ends of the ice. Barkov has 6 goals and 17 points since February 27, when he scored the first goal in what would eventually become a 3-2 overtime victory over Toronto that fueled the fire of the playoff push.
Lately, Barkov has anchored the top line with Evgeni Dadonov and Nick Bjugstad. The new line pairing has clearly been beneficial, with extraordinary play coming from both Dadonov and Bjugstad as of late. The performance of the top line has translated into results for the team, seen with a record of 13-4-2 since defeating Washington on February 22nd.
One of the things Barkov does so well is stripping the puck off opposing players and leading a counter attack rush the other way. A 2-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens provided a great example of Barkov’s defense setting up offense.
The game was marked by numerous scoring chances for the Panthers that they could not convert into goals. Barkov was a key source of the offense. He had an important goal to give the Panthers the decisive 2-0 lead. He also pulled off a great steal in the offensive zone and fired a shot on goal, which created a quality scoring chance. Barkov finished the game with 6 of Florida’s 40 shots on goal, marked with a +1 rating. He also assisted on two goals the next night in Ottawa.
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After defeating the New York Islanders 3-0, and dropping back-to-back games against Toronto and Ottawa respectively, the Panthers have 6 games remaining in the regular season. They are under pressure to win every one of them as they try to catch New Jersey for the final wildcard spot.
This is the time of year where franchise players like Aleksander Barkov make or break a team. So far, Barkov has risen to the occasion and carried the team back into the playoff picture. Last Thursday’s crucial matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets, which turned into a 4-0 loss, was a critical blow to Florida’s playoff hopes. Barkov didn’t record a single point, as the Panthers were shutout by Columbus’ goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
The Panthers would rebound with two wins after the Columbus game. Aleksander Barkov was an unsung hero in Florida’s incredible 3rd period comeback against the Coyotes. He recorded one assist in the box score when he unselfishly set up Jamie McGinn for the game-sealing empty net goal, although Barkov could’ve made the shot himself, ultimately choosing the unselfish option.
It was nice for McGinn, who the Panthers got from Arizona for Jason Demers earlier this season, to have a goal and an assist in that game. Also, Barkov once again led the team with 7 shots on goal.
The 3-0 shutout win in New York also demonstrated his impact to the team. Barkov was credited with an assist on Keith Yandle’s goal that opened the scoring; However, the box score doesn’t tell the whole story. After he handed the puck off to Evgeni Dadonov, Barkov went straight to the net.
He stopped right in front of Islanders goalie Christopher Gibson and held his ground as a defender tried to push him away. With two bodies in front of him, Gibson could not see the puck. Yandle’s wrist shot was well-aimed to the glove side, but it would have been a routine save for Gibson had it not been for Barkov’s perfect screen. It’s the little things that Barkov does consistently that makes him so impressive, while pulling them off with such ease.
Next: Florida Panthers Fall Short to the Ottawa Senators in Overtime, 3-2
If Aleksander Barkov can continue his red-hot play over the final few games, the Panthers could possibly squeak in despite a tough upcoming schedule. However, if Barkov falls into a slump, it will be all that more difficult for Florida to replace his production at both ends of the rink.