Aleksander Barkov went straight down the tunnel after an awkward fall Thursday night, and the Florida Panthers suddenly had a much bigger problem in San Jose.
NHL News flagged it with the Sharks up 2-0 midway through the second period.
Florida was on a power play at the time, with 1:02 left on it.
In the wide shot, Sam Reinhart carries the puck in white No. 13 while a pile of bodies sits along the end boards, one player in white still down on the ice.
This is the nightmare scenario for Florida. Losing your captain in game two would sting on its own, and this one has been nasty all night.
It's the designated driver twisting an ankle at the party. Suddenly nobody knows how they're getting home.
Is it serious? The post didn't include any update on his status, so that's the only question that matters right now.
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Here is Pierre LeBrun's reaction :
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Aleksander Barkov heads straight down the tunnel after alarming fall against Sharks
Barkov is 31 and carries a $10,000,000 cap hit, the biggest on Florida's roster.
It's been a rough night for him. Macklin Celebrini was caught cross-checking him along the boards earlier in this game.
The same game featured Brady Tkachuk taking down Celebrini and Jacob Trouba stepping in, plus Anton Lundell catching a stick up high.
Reinhart, at $8,625,000, is one of the players Florida would lean on if its captain misses time.
Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones sit right behind him on the pay sheet at $9,500,000 apiece.
The Panthers trailed 14-11 in shots at that point, so the two-goal deficit wasn't exactly a fluke.
Paul Maurice's group came in at 1-0-0 after a shutout win in Carolina on Tuesday, with Jacob Markstrom in net.
Ryan Warsofsky's Sharks are playing their home opener after a 2-1-1 preseason.
The Panthers' trip continues in Anaheim on Sunday and Los Angeles next Tuesday.
Florida will know more after the game, and maybe not even then. Until there's an update, every eye in that dressing room is going to drift toward the tunnel.
Can the Panthers survive a stretch without Aleksander Barkov if he misses time?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Brady Tkachuk cheap-shots Macklin Celebrini then gets rocked by Jacob Trouba
