Aleksander Barkov hit another Panthers milestone, but his focus is on bigger goals
Maybe at some point, Aleksander Barkov will look back on the moment Tuesday where he notched his latest milestone in Florida Panthers history.
The star center’s goal — a snap shot 24 seconds into the period on a rebound from the left side of the net — was No. 189 of Barkov’s career, putting him alone at the top of Florida’s all-time career goals scored list. It broke a tie will Olli Jokinen, who had held the record since he was traded from the organization following the 2007-08 season.
Tuesday night, however, wasn’t the night for celebrating.
Not after a 7-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils, the Panthers’ second consecutive defeat in regulation after starting the season with 10 wins and an 11-game point streak.
“Right now, it’s tough,” Barkov said after the Panthers’ most lopsided defeat of the season. “This loss, it hurts. We didn’t show up the way we wanted. All the thoughts are about that.”
The Panthers’ play has been sloppy the past two games. Loose pucks in the neutral zone or just inside the offensive zone have led to odd-man rushes and high-danger chances for the opposition. Florida allowed 25 combined high-danger scoring chances — shots that are generally expected to result in goals, usually coming on breakaways or rebound opportunities — against the Rangers and Devils. They averaged 8.3 high-danger chances against in their first 11 games games of the season.
“Soft and sloppy plays all over the ice, in the defensive zone, in the offensive zone,” Barkov said. “We lose pucks all over the place.”
Barkov, the team’s captain and star top-line center, takes pride in the team’s success. He passes the credit along to his teammates when they have a resounding win and shoulders the bulk of the blame when they lose.
And he’s putting the pressure on himself to make sure this two-game losing skid doesn’t manifest into something more. The Panthers play next on Thursday at the Pittsburgh Penguins, the third game of this four-game road trip.
“Just have to forget these two games and get our heads straight and move toward Pittsburgh,” Barkov said.
As for his latest spot in franchise history: Barkov tallied 189 goals in 540 games. Since making his NHL debut in 2013, his goal total is the 29th most in the NHL.
Barkov is on a seven-game point streak and has tallied at least one goal or one assist in 10 of 12 games he has played.
“When this all settles down, that feeling is going to be great,” Barkov said. “I know so many great players have played for this organization, and Olli Jokinen played for a long time, played unbelievable hockey here. To be in the same category as him, it was never even a dream, and now it’s a reality. I’m happy, but at the same time just need to keep going and keep getting better.”
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No confidence lost in Knight
Spencer Knight, the Panthers’ ballyhooed 20-year-old rookie goaltender, was in net for both regulation losses on Monday and Tuesday and, for the first time in his NHL career, looked human.
Knight entered the road trip with an 8-0-1 record in regular-season games — the lone loss coming via a shootout — and a .918 save percentage.
The two games against the Rangers and the Devils: 10 goals allowed on 48 shots on goal — a .792 save percentage.
But at this point, there’s no confidence lost in Knight.
“This is a real good experience for him,” interim coach Andrew Brunette said. “Back-to-back in the NHL is tough, and I thought he battled. There were a couple bounces that didn’t go his way, or our way, and he unfortunately had to pay the price for those.”
Sergei Bobrovsky served as Knight’s backup Tuesday after missing two games with an upper-body injury, pointing to a potential return in net on Thursday against Pittsburgh.
This and that
▪ It should surprise very few that Jonathan Huberdeau is tied for the team lead with 10 assists. The person he’s tied with, though, may surprise some.
Florida’s co-leader in assists through 13 games: Defenseman Gustav Forsling, who entered Wednesday tied with the Rangers’ Adam Fox for the second-most assists by a defenseman, both only trailing the Chicago Blackhawks’ Seth Jones (11).
Forsling has picked up many of his assists in bunches. He had four in Florida’s first three games, dished out three more in the Panthers’ Oct. 27 win against the Boston Bruins, recorded another two against the Capitals on Thursday and had the primary assist on Owen Tippett’s second-period goal Tuesday.
▪ After giving up three power-play goals over the last two games, the Panthers’ penalty kill efficiency is now down to 81.6 percent, 16th in the NHL.
This story was originally published November 10, 2021 at 10:21 AM.
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