2023-24 Playoff Focus: Aleksander Barkov (SCF, GM3)
Off the floor, on the board
Heading into Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, Aleksander Barkov’s health was a major question mark.
Florida’s captain responded with a vintage 200-foot performance on Thursday night. All of his Selke hallmarks were there: the newfound quickness, the puck protection, the stubborn inside positioning, the inescapable reach. To top it off, he added vital offense to power his team to victory.
However, it’s worth noting that Barkov is more of a safety valve than a shadow. Whereas Gustav Forsling faces the opposition’s finest mano a mano, the big Finn devotes his energy to keeping a lid on the action overall.
His primary objective against a dynamic Oilers club? Hold that speed in check:
On the PP, Edmonton aims to unleash Ryan McLeod’s (EDM 71) wheels with a drop + swing wide entry. Corey Perry (EDM 90) is the other half of the design, though. With no respect for his puck-carrying ability (look at the amount of ice he’s granted by the Panthers), Barkov can shade over to the opposite wall and completely derail the attempt.
Moreover, his 6’3”, 215-pound build allows him to absorb contact while scanning for his next move. Link-up pass → transition.
Here’s another great example of Barkov’s knack for nipping offense in the bud:
After Sam Reinhart (FLA 13) botches a 2-on-1 opportunity, Brett Kulak (EDM 27) slides the puck forward for either Connor McDavid (EDM 97) or Leon Draisaitl (EDM 29) to skate on to. Edmonton is exactly where it wants to be: primed for a furious rush led by its two best elements.
Unfortunately for the Oilers, Barkov’s depth and F3 instincts guide him to the loose puck first, neutralizing the opposition’s uptempo ambitions.
The 28-year-old repeatedly dashed Edmonton’s hopes before they burned too bright in Game 3. His positioning was spotless. Moreover, his pesky stick even generated quality counterattacks for the Panthers:
There’s that depth again. Armed with the knowledge that the breakout target (Mattias Janmark, EDM 13) is stationary, Barkov can try his luck for an interception and apply back pressure if he fails. He knocks Cody Ceci’s (EDM 5) aerial down and feeds Reinhart for a 3-on-2 bid from the middle of the ice.
Sasha’s defense-into-offense mentality was most evident on the game’s opening goal, where he flexed his two-way arsenal at 4-on-4:
Following Edmonton’s high-scissor setup, Barkov understands that he has the edge in mobility and reach over Evan Bouchard (EDM 2) in a confined space (back against the blue line). He challenges him, gets stick on rubber and steams up the ice.
Now his puck protection enters the picture. By lowering his inside shoulder and shooting his free arm out, he fends off Bouchard and deposits the biscuit a few feet backwards—where only he can recover it—in order to buy time for reinforcements to arrive. He then locates Forsling on a side switch, and the Swede teams up with Reinhart to exploit McDavid’s puck-watching. 1-0. Life sucked right out of the building.
Although Barkov probably didn’t deserve the lavish praise he received for Games 1 and 2 (that belonged to Forsling), he was a suffocating three-zone monster on Thursday night.
His complete effort was especially important in light of Edmonton’s home-ice advantage, as the Oilers ran roughshod over the Panthers any time he and Forsling were on the bench in the third period. In the end, his sterling performance was just enough to secure the 4-3 win and 3-0 series stranglehold.
On the night, he posted an 82.6 xGF% at EV, 2 points (including the GWG) and 2 GF vs. 0 GA in 20:06 of action. Total dominance.
Here are the full highlights: