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Homecoming King: Barkov Leads Panthers Over Stars in Tampere

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Florida Panthers Gus Forsling, Anton Lundell, Matthew Tkachuk, and Sasha Barkov arrive for their game against the Dallas Stars in Tampere, Finland, dressed for a day in the sauna. // Photo courtesy @FlaPanthers

The Florida Panthers made the short walk from their hotel located inside Nokia Arena before their NHL Global Series game against the Dallas Stars dressed as if they were headed to a traditional Finnish sauna.

Only it was Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger and the Stars who were sweating.

The Panthers scored just 28 seconds into the game, never trailed, and rolled the Stars 6-4 for their fourth straight win with Sasha Barkov becoming the homecoming king with a goal and three assists,

Florida, which has points in eight of its past nine (7-1-1) games, face the Stars in the finale of this Finnish road trip today at noon.

This was the kind of international matchup the NHL dreams of.

On a snowy day in Finland, two of the league’s top teams — the Panthers have been in the past two Stanley Cup finals, the Stars have been to the Western Conference finals the past two seasons — met up.

The Panthers did not take long to get going, Aaron Ekblad getting the first of his three assists when Evan Rodrigues deflected his point shot 28 seconds in.

Barkov made it 2-0 later in the first, ripping a shot from Rodrigues.

The Panthers led 3-1 going into the second, and 4-2 heading into the third.

Barkov, playing in front of a hometown crowd, was simply terrific.

Two of his primary assists went to Sam Reinhart — one kicking off a 2-on-1 rush in the first, and a slick no-look feed in the third.

Rodrigues, Anton Lundell, and Mackie Samoskevich also scored for Florida (8-3-1).

Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves in the win.

GOALS OF THE GAME
  • Panthers 1, Stars 0 (0:28 1st): Aaron Ekblad gets his first primary assist of the day, taking a pass from hometown hero Sasha Barkov and sending a point shot toward the net which is deflected in by Evan Rodrigues.
  • Panthers 2, Stars 0 (7:11 1st): Barkov takes a pass from Rodrigues high in the slot and rifles a shot above the outstretched glove of Jake Oettinger.
  • Panthers 2, Stars 1 (10:45 1st): The Stars are being outshot 10-2, but Tyler Seguin’s sharp-angled shot from behind the net clips a skate of Sergei Bobrovsky and trickles through.
  • Panthers 3, Stars 1 (15:51 1st PP): Anton Lundell gets in on the action, deflecting another point shot from Ekblad through.
  • Panthers 3, Stars 2 (1:32 2nd): Jason Robertson sends a great feed to Esa Lindell in front of the net for a real pretty goal.
  • Panthers 4, Stars 2 (6:07 2nd SH): Ekblad forces a turnover in the defensive zone setting up a 2-on-1 with Sam Reinhart keeping the puck and wristing one top shelf for his third shorty of the season. No other player in the NHL has more than one.
  • Panthers 5, Stars 2 (2:31 3rd): A.J. Greer throws a puck off the side boards and Mackie Samoskevich catches up to it — and one-times it from the top of the right circle for his second NHL goal and second in the past three games.
  • Panthers 6, Stars 2 (10:02 3rd): Reinhart gets his second of the game, getting in front of the net just to take another no-look feed from Barkov.
  • Panthers 6, Stars 3 (15:38 3rd): Mavrik Bourque gets credit for a loose puck which got under Bobrovsky.
  • Panthers 6, Stars 4 (19:26 3rd): Jamie Benn gets one with Bobrovsky out of position in the final minute.
GR’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME
  • 1. Sasha Barkov, Florida
  • 2. Sam Reinhart, Florida
  • 3. Aaron Ekblad, Florida

ON DECK: GAME 13
NHL GLOBAL SERIES AT TAMPERE, FINLAND
FLORIDA PANTHERS V. DALLAS STARS (GAME 2)

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