Florida’s Finnish captain Aleksander Barkov praised Matthew Tkachuk’s character after the match. Sentter had a familiar recipe for correcting poor superiority.
The Florida Panthers’ first win in the Stanley Cup Finals was much personified by a superstar to Matthew Tkachuk.
Tkachuk was injured in the opening set when he missed By Keegan Kolesar under heavy tackle. Tkachuk was in the locker room for a long time, but finally returned to the ice.
At first, it seemed that the superstar would not be able to help his team in the rink. In the end, however, he took the game to overtime by shoveling the loose puck into the net.
A tremendous player
Florida’s Finnish captain Alexander Barkov praised Tkachuk’s character to reporters.
– He came back despite everything. He is a tough guy who fights through everything. He is a huge player for us and his return meant a lot to us, said Barkov.
Barkov also lavishly praised the fans. For example, before the match, the “Let’s go Panthers” shout that was played by the arena echoed all the way to the booth.
– There are a few doors in between here, but it was still heard. It was incredible from the start.
The Panthers played their first game of the series in front of their home crowd.
– Every second I was on the ice today was incredible. The atmosphere, the fans and everything. They encouraged until the very end. We tried everything, we got the big goal at the end and the winning goal in overtime. This was a great night.
Supremacy still hurts
Barkov saw that Florida played a little better and more disciplined than in the previous two finals. The team still took too much ice, but defensively the game was better.
The Panthers’ dominance has been painful. In the third final, the team was allowed to try five times with superiority, but the goal balance in the final series is still round zero.
– I think we need to shoot a little more. Maybe we rub too much on the outside and try great passes.
– I wouldn’t say that it’s bad. The puck is moving and we have had some opportunities. Of course, their goalkeeper has played well and the defenders have blocked moves, Barkov said.
Lundell keeps young
Barkov was also asked about his teammate in English From Anton Lundell. The journalist described that Lundell is like a small version of Barkov. The captain did not sign the opinion.
– I wouldn’t see it that way. He is already amazing and is already playing at an amazing level even though he is only 21 years old.
– He plays maturely and makes the right decisions at both ends of the field. He can be put on the ice in any situation and that is very rare for a young player. I’ve been with the team for ten years, but I learned so much from him. He keeps me young, Barkov carved.
Florida won the match 3–2 in overtime Carter Verhaeghen on the finish line. Vegas leads the match series with victories 2–1.
The final series continues on Sunday morning at three o’clock Finnish time. The match can be seen on TV2 and Areena.