‘We’re trading him’: Maurice on Barkov’s performance in Stanley Cup Final
Aleksander Barkov hasn’t exactly been the dominant force in the Stanley Cup Final that many expected him to be.
While many expected the Florida Panthers captain to be a gamebreaker through the first two games against the Edmonton Oilers, Barkov has struggled with no points and a -4 rating. So when asked about the performance so far, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice gave the exact kind of answer that you would expect him to give when asked about Barkov’s performance and if there was any concern.
“We’re trading him.” 😂
Paul Maurice with peak sarcasm when asked about Aleksander Barkov’s scoreless start to the #StanleyCup Final. pic.twitter.com/OqzpKEemQ5
“We’re trading him,” Maurice said with a smirk, before answering the question more seriously. “No, I’m not, at all. There’s action at both ends of the ice all the time. And I don’t think this is a statistical series, because it’s not a relatable series that you’ve played in the past. The shot attempts, the sheer volume of quality of offense driven by both teams. At the same time, both teams are defending well.
“He had a minus on the 4-on-4. It’s a heck of a shot block. It’s in the back of the net. I didn’t bench him. He’s good.”
Despite the lack of offense and the -4 rating, Barkov has been doing one of his jobs incredibly well in this series, as he’s kept Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s offense to a minimum when he’s on the ice against them. In any of Barkov’s minutes with either of the two on the ice at 5v5, the Oilers have scored just one goal, although the Panthers haven’t scored themselves in those minutes.
Barkov has still had an incredible playoff run despite the lack of offense in the Final thus far, with 6 goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 19 games in this year’s playoffs. This has come while also being relied on as the team’s top shutdown option, playing against tough competition and generally keeping their offense to a minimum as well.
The Panthers will look to take their first lead of the series when they host the Oilers for Game 3 in Florida on Monday at 8 p.m. EST.