Edmonton Oilers have a very good idea of Aleksander Barkov's status for Game 3.
Edmonton Oilers have a very good idea of Aleksander Barkov's status for Game 3.
EDMONTON -- You never want to see a good guy go down.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVGSEJ1buOw[/embed]
The Edmonton Oilers witnessed the Florida Panthers top player and captain leave Game two early. He suffered a high hit from Oilers' forward Leon Draisaitl in the third period and didn't return.
Yesterday, Sam Carrick bore the brunt of the Department of Player Safety's wrath. After spearing a Panthers player in the groin during Game two, he was dolled out a fine for "slashing." Draisaitl didn't face any additional discipline.
Fast forward to today, and the Panthers practiced before heading out on the road to Edmonton. My Florida colleague David Dwork reported on Twitter that Aleksander Barkov was a full participant in practice.
As you can see from the image above, no visor, no cage, no alternate colored jersey. All signs point to the Panthers' captain not missing a beat and suiting up for Game 3 in Edmonton.
There is some speculation that Barkov's health status would dictate whether or not Draisaitl would receive supplemental discipline. The health condition should not be the deciding factor. The play itself should be examined and a judgement made from it.
Considering that it's the Stanley Cup Final, Barkov would need to sustain a very serious injury to keep him out of a game. At this stage of the postseason, most players have some kind of injury they are gutting through in order to achieve the ultimate goal - the Stanley Cup.
Game three is scheduled for 6 PM tomorrow night. The Oilers will look to extend the series to at least five games with a win.
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