Barkov did not play the final 5:47 of the third period or any of overtime on Monday against Anaheim

Florida Panthers captain Sasha Barkov is battling an injury that kept him from finishing Monday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks.

Barkov still played 17:13 of game time, but when his shift ended with 5:47 to go in the third period, he’d sit down on Florida’s bench and stay there for the rest of the game.

The lower-body injury is something that Barkov has been dealing with recently, but he and Florida’s medical and training staff have been monitoring and maintaining the ailment.

“We know what it looks like going into the game, and then I would just say fine, but you're not letting this thing get worse,” Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said after the game. “He thought he could play, and he did. And then it got a little tighter as the game went on.”

Maurice was alerted early in the game that Barkov’s injury was tightening up a little.

Barkov remained in the game, but both Maurice and the training staff were closely watching by this point.

“I said well, he's out as soon as he can’t go,” Maurice said. “And then they came back and said, ‘It tightened a little bit more, do you still need him?’ I said no, he’s not playing again. So that was it.”

The Panthers have Tuesday off, so the next time Barkov could be on the ice with his teammates would be for Wednesday’s morning skate ahead of Florida’s home game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Based off Maurice’s comments, it sounds like Barkov could be back to face the Wings.

While he last scored a goal on Dec. 16, a span of 13 games, Barkov has racked up 17 assists in the time since.

He also been fueling an extremely potent forward line, as well as Florida’s top power play.

“We don't want it to get worse, and it didn't,” Maurice said of Barkov’s injury. “I think we got it early enough, so we're expecting him to be a player for us against Detroit. I just didn't want to risk that at this time.”

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