The Florida Panthers lost team captain and NHL superstar Aleksander Barkov to injury late in Saturday's game against the Boston Bruins.
With less than two minutes to play in the Panthers' 4-2 loss, Barkov's right leg awkwardly slammed into the endboards in Florida's attacking zone after he made contact with Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy.
INJURIES: Nikita Kucherov | Tyson Barrie
Barkov remained on the ice for a few minutes before Panthers teammates Vincent Trocheck and Anton Stralman helped him skate off the ice and head into the locker room.
Aleksander Barkov is helped off the ice by Vincent Trocheck and Anton Stralman after going into the boards hard.#FlaPanthers #OneTerritory #NHL pic.twitter.com/CQLPLe5wta
— FOX Sports Florida & Sun (@FOXSportsFL) December 15, 2019
McAvoy, who appeared to prod Barkov into the boards with his stick, was given a two-minute minor penalty for interference on the play.
Florida head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game that Barkov "should be fine," easing Panthers fans' worries. Any serious injury to Barkov (who has 36 points in 31 games this season) could jeopardize the team's chances to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
The Panthers (15-12-2, 35 points) sit four points out of a wild card spot after Saturday's game with the following four teams between them and playoff position: the Tampa Bay Lightning (35 points), Toronto Maple Leafs (36 points), New York Rangers (36 points) and Philadelphia Flyers (39 points).