Rangers 1 – Panthers 2 | Panthers Return to Finals
Aleksander Barkov has proven in recent years that he is in the same league as Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, and Jonathan Toews. Now, he will have a new opportunity to achieve the main distinction that sets him apart from them.
Published at 10:53 PM
Updated at 11:48 PM
Barkov and the Florida Panthers won 2-1 against the New York Rangers on Saturday at the Amerant Bank Arena to clinch the Eastern Conference Finals in six games.
For the fifth consecutive year, the Stanley Cup Finals will be partly held in Florida. And for the second season in a row, it will be in Sunrise. After the three consecutive finals of the Lightning (2020-2022), the Panthers are heading there for the second year in a row. Florida will face the winner of the Edmonton-Dallas series in the finals, with the Oilers currently leading 3-2.
The finals will start next Saturday, in Florida if the Oilers represent the West, in Dallas if the Stars come back and win the Clarence Campbell Trophy. Barkov, already a two-time Selke Trophy winner this season, will aim to add the Stanley Cup to his repertoire. If he succeeds, he will have a resume comparable to the three aforementioned centers. Bergeron has six Selke Trophies and one Stanley Cup, Kopitar has two of each, while Toews has one Selke and three Stanley Cups.
During the Eastern Conference Finals, Barkov showcased his defensive talent by neutralizing Artemi Panarin. The Rangers’ forward, who scored 49 goals in the regular season, was invisible offensively, only scoring his first goal of the series 100 seconds before the end of the sixth game.
Mika Zibanejad, another talented player, struggled against Barkov during this series, tallying only two assists in six games. Barkov also played a significant role in the Rangers’ power play struggles, as they scored only once in 15 opportunities, a measly 6.7% success rate.
The Panthers believed they had something special when they selected Barkov 2nd overall in the 2013 draft. If he leads his team to victory, he will join the top pick of that year, Nathan MacKinnon, in winning a Stanley Cup ring. Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers’ goalie, has also been instrumental in leading the team to the finals for the second consecutive year.
The Rangers will now have to regroup after falling short in the finals for the second time in three years. Despite positive performances from Igor Shesterkin and Alexis Lafrenière, questions will arise about the team’s offensive identity. The summer promises to be intriguing in the Big Apple.