Florida’s captain Aleksander Barkov was disappointed in front of the media after the fifth final, where Florida fell completely under the Vegas roller.
Pertti Lappalainen,
Jussi Saarinen
After the fifth NHL final game, the disappointed Florida captain answered the questions of the reporters in the dressing room of the Florida Panthers Alexander Barkov. The Vegas Golden Knights beat Florida no less than 9-3 in what was a decisive match.
– Eat at the moment, but I guess it will pass at some point, Barkov summed up his feelings.
In the end, Vegas was in a class of its own, winning 4–1 in the final series. The level difference between the teams is indicated by the goal difference in the match series. Vegas won the goals scored 26–12.
– I can’t say any systematic things. They played well and they won. They have a good goaltender, a good team and they won, Barkov shook his head when asked about Vegas’ superiority.
Florida suffered a massive setback before the game when the star player Matthew Tkachuk dropped from the playing lineup before the match. After the game, the Florida coach Paul Maurice said at a press conference that the Yankees outfielder played in Game 4 despite a fractured sternum.
Tkachuk scored 11+13=24 power points in the 20 games he played in the spring playoffs. The absence of a winger was a big setback for the fifth finals game for Florida.
The match that was decisive in the final series, and especially its second set, was sad for Florida. Playing in ecstasy in front of their home crowd, Vegas scored four goals in less than ten minutes. by Alec Martinez Florida couldn’t stop the avalanche that started with the 3–1 goal.
– It’s not the right time to analyze this game, it’s a bit difficult at the moment… I can’t say what happened today, the Finnish captain lamented in the locker room.
Despite the huge disappointment, Barkov continued to praise his team. After a difficult regular season, Florida struggled to make the playoffs. The spring was an almost unbelievable upswing until the final series.
– There are incredible dudes in this locker room every single one. Everyone gave it their all every night. We didn’t always manage to win, but we always came back stronger. It was great to come to the hall every single day and fight with these players right from the beginning of the season, Barkov incensed his team.
– It wasn’t a good ending for us, but I’m proud of every guy.
In the final series, a few players familiar to Barkov played on the opposite side. Their success warmed the striker.
– A few acquaintances. I am happy for them, even though I would never want to be in this situation. Always respect the opponent.