A hit by Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers on Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers in game 2 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final is causing plenty of controversy online. Many feel the hit warranted more than a two-minute penalty, especially now that there are reports that Barkov may not return in the series.
About halfway through the third period of the game, Draisaitl hit Barkov up high on a hit where he appears to leave his feet before impact. Barkov, who has been instrumental in shutting down Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, and the rest of the Oilers in the Cup Final, left the game and did not return.
Following the game, there have been reports that Barkov's jaw may be broken, which would essentially end his participation in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice was asked how he felt about the hit following the game. In true Maurice fashion, his answer was an interesting one as he refused to get roped in to saying anything about Draisaitl.
The Stanley Cup Final now heads back to Edmonton for game 3 on Thursday night, with game 4 taking place Saturday. Losing Barkov would be a massive hit for the Panthers as he is one of the best two-way forwards in the league. So far, there's been no official word from the Florida Panthers on whether Barkov will miss any time. During the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, the Boston Bruins Zdeno Chara suffered a broken jaw in game 4 that needed to be wired shut. He missed no time, playing the next three games against the St. Louis Blues.
