Aleksander Barkov injury update: Florida Panthers' captain departs Game 2 after massive hit by Tampa Bay Lightning’s Brandon Hagel

Florida Panthers' captain Aleksander Barkov had to leave Thursday evening's Game 2 vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning following a big hit from Brandon Hagel that left the Florida Panthers down to one of their most valuable players in the latter stages of the game. It was a dark cloud for Florida's 2-0 victory, which took the Florida Panthers 2-0 up on their first-round Eastern Conference series.
The game was turned around midway through the third period when Brandon Hagel collided with Aleksander Barkov, dropping the Florida Panthers captain to a knee. Though Aleksander Barkov skated off on his own, he went straight to the locker room and did not return. The Florida Panthers were down over 10 minutes in regulation before they had to finish without their captain.
Officials awarded Brandon Hagel a five-minute major for interference, a call protested on the spot by Lightning head coach Jon Cooper. “I was a little surprised it was a (major) ... five minutes in a 1-0 game with eight minutes to play, nine minutes to play, that's a tough situation to be in,” Cooper said after the game.
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice provided no postgame update on Aleksander Barkov's status, merely saying, “Nope,” when asked if the team had any information. “We’ll evaluate him and see where he’s at,” he added.
Aleksander Barkov already has three assists in the series, one on the game-winner Thursday night by Nate Schmidt. Schmidt, who also scored twice in Game 1, has become an unwanted offensive savior for Florida at the beginning of this series. But the potential loss of Barkov hangs over the Panthers as they prepare for Game 3 back on home ice at Sunrise this Saturday.
Barkov was born and raised in Tampere, Finland and began playing professionally for Tappara in the Finnish Elite League after joining the team's junior system in 2011. He broke a 37-year-old record when he made his professional debut aged 16, becoming the league's youngest player to score a point.
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The Panthers will come into Saturday's Game 3 with a 2-0 advantage but growing worry over the well-being of their captain. It was June 24, 2024, the day the Florida Panthers last hosted a playoff game—a Game 7 victory over Edmonton in the Stanley Cup Final. Picking up where they left off, the Panthers will hope to continue—ideally with Aleksander Barkov on the ice.