Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk speaks after Florida's 4-1 win over Edmonton on June 11. There was a dark cloud hanging over the Florida Panthers practice facility on Tuesday morning, literally and figuratively. The Panthers should be flying high, leading the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers 2-0 following a pair of victories on home ice over the past few days. During Monday night’s win, Florida captain Sasha Barkov left the game midway through the third period after taking an elbow to the face from Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] Barkov did not return to the game, and afterwards, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice was understandably upset [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-players-paul-maurice-react-to-leon-draisaitl-elbow-to-head-of-sasha-barkov]. He was salty and un-engaging, giving short answers to questions about the hit and Barkov’s status, which is a far cry from the jovial, energetic energy usually exuding from Maurice. Fast forward about 12 hours and the mood of Maurice was much different despite the dreary weather sweeping across Broward County. The change in demeanor likely has to do with receiving a positive update on Barkov. “He came in today and he wasn’t worse, and that’s a really good thing,” Maurice said. “The real assessment will be tomorrow. If he continues to progress, we should be in good shape.” The Panthers will fly to Edmonton on Wednesday and play Game 3 against the Oilers Thursday night. Whether or not Barkov is on the flight to Alberta has yet to be determined. It will depend on if he continues to progress in a positive direction without any setbacks and gets the medical clearance necessary to return to normal hockey activities. Overall, it was a much different tone from Maurice on Tuesday morning. The vibe was one indicating that things are going to be okay. “He had some things that needed to get looked at today,” Maurice said. “They got looked at, there’s nothing sinister there, so he kinda of passed that. He felt better today, he feels good, but you’ve got to give it then another 24 hours to make sure that he’s still feeling strong. If that continues to progress, we think he’ll be a player for us.” If Barkov does have to miss any time, Maurice expressed confidence that the Panthers would be able to manage the situation. While Barkov has not had to sit out during the playoffs, he did miss some time during the regular season. Also, as Maurice pointed out, replacing centermen is something Florida has been able to deal with while not having it be a huge detriment to the team. “We have experience with Barkov out (of the lineup),” Maurice said. “Even in this run, while he didn’t miss a game, we played five games without Sam Bennett, so we've done it enough that if you walked in there and said, ‘Hey, if Barky doesn’t play, what are the lines?’ The guys would all probably know what the lines are.” As for the hit itself, and whether there could be any supplemental discipline from the NHL on Draisaitl, Maurice said he’s moved on. The chips will fall where they may, but as far as the Panthers are concerned, they’re moving on to Game 3. “It’s done,” Maurice said. “The refs called a penalty on the ice. The league looks at just about every single hit. They’ll make their decision, and then we aren’t dealing with that anymore today. Part of that is just the mental discipline to leave the game where it is, regardless of the result. “It’s done for me.” LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA The Hockey Show: Panthers win Game 2, lose Sasha Barkov to dirty hit [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/the-hockey-show-panthers-win-game-2-lose-sasha-barkov-to-dirty-hit] Three takeaways: Evan Rodrigues comes up huge, Panthers defending takes over [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/three-takeaways-evan-rodrigues-comes-up-huge-panthers-defending-takes-over] Panthers players, Paul Maurice react to Leon Draisaitl elbow to head of Sasha Barkov [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-players-paul-maurice-react-to-leon-draisaitl-elbow-to-head-of-sasha-barkov] Panthers take 2-0 lead in Stanley Cup Final with 4-1 victory in Game 2 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-take-2-0-lead-in-stanley-cup-final-with-4-1-victory-in-game-2] Wayne Gretzky pays Panthers captain Sasha Barkov ultimate compliment [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/wayne-gretzky-pays-panthers-captain-sasha-barkov-ultimate-compliment] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
