BOSTON – The Florida Panthers paid the price in their physical series against the Boston Bruins.
But as they move on to the Eastern Conference Final, everyone appears to be in one piece.
After both getting banged up late in Friday’s series-clinching win in Game 6 at TD Garden, captain Aleksander Barkov and defenseman Niko Mikkola are both good to go moving forward.
Barkov briefly left the game after making a game-saving block with his left hand on the penalty kill, but returned in time to see Gustav Forsling score with 1:33 left to lock in the 2-1 victory.
“I feel great,” said Barkov, who added that his glove absorbed most of the shot.
Mikkola (undisclosed) ended his last shift with 2:52 left in regulation and did not return.
“He’s fine,” head coach Paul Maurice said of the hulking blueliner.
Two key pieces, both players will play integral in taking down the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final, which will begin on Wednesday with Game 1 at Madison Square Garden.
Barkov ranks second on the Panthers with 13 points (five goals, eight assist) in the playoffs, while also leading the NHL with 18 takeaways and winning 56.3% of his faceoffs.
Mikkola, meanwhile, sits second among Florida’s defensemen in hits (35) and blocks (17).
Stay tuned for more updates leading up to Game 1 in the Big Apple.
