Barkov, Tarasenko to play in Game 3 for Panthers

EDMONTON — After overcoming weather gate, the Florida Panthers were on the ice in Edmonton on Thursday for morning skate at Rogers Place.

Holding a 2-0 series lead after winning the first two games of the series in Sunrise, the Panthers look to take build off their strong start as the series switches over to to Western Canada. 

The Panthers will have their captain Aleksander Barkov in the lineup on Thursday night.

Barkov left Game 2 with 9:28 left in the game — and did not return after he was hit up high by Oilers forward Leon Draisatl.

Draisaitl received a two minute minor penalty for the elbow to Barkov’s face, but he received no other supplemental discipline.

“I think we all know that I’m not a player that plays with intent to injure anybody by any means. I have no track record of that,” Draisaitl said on Thursday when asked about the hit. “I am not a player that enjoys that part of the game — injuring other players or anything like that. I caught him in an unfortunate spot.”

Florida will be happy to have their captain back on the ice for Game 3. This year’s Sellke winner is a point-per-game (19 points in 19 games) this postseason and more importantly — he has shut down the opposition’s best skaters. 

“He’s the leader of our group,” Sam Reinhart said of Barkov’s return. “It’s never easy when someone like that goes down, especially in a huge part of the game with nine-ten minutes left… I think it shows to the character of him and how bad he wants it as well to get back.” 

The Oilers have a few guys who have bumps and bruises; Evander Kane and Darnell Nurse being two of those. Head coach Kris Knoblauch did not give any update on what he plans to do with his lineup for Game 3. 

Vladimir Tarasenko will also be in the lineup for the Panthers after missing practice on Wednesday with a “minor thing.”

Other than some line shuffling, the Panthers will roll the same players that they’ve had since the Cup Final started. 

Evan Rodrigues will be on the top line with Barkov and Reinhart, while Carter Verhaeghe will slide down and play with Bennett and Tkachuk.

“I think we have a certain style that we like to play and I think when they switch the lines a little bit we switch them for a reason,” Carter Verhaeghe said. “I’m kind of the same player (no matter the line). I just try to play my game.”

As for the Oilers, head coach Kris Knoblauch did not say if they would make any lineup changes for Game 3. They have a few guys who have been playing through injuries, like Darnell Nurse and Evander Kane.

Puck drop is at 6 p.m. MT, 8 p.m. ET from Rogers Place in Edmonton. 

Projected Panthers lines 

Rodrigues- Barkov- Reinhart 

Verhaeghe-Bennett-Tkachuk 

Luostarinen- Lundell-Tarasenko

Lorentz-Stenlund-Okposo

Forsling-Ekblad

Mikkola-Montour

Ekman-Larsson – Kulikov

Bobrovsky

Stolarz