Aleksander Barkov is good to go for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final.
The Panthers captain was a question mark ahead of Thursday after taking a forearm to the jaw from Edmonton Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl midway through the third period of Monday鈥檚 4-1 victory that put Florida up 2-0 in the title series.
Head coach Paul Maurice added winger Vladimir Tarasenko (undisclosed) would also play.
The winner of this year鈥檚 Selke Trophy as the NHL鈥檚 top defensive forward, Barkov practised Wednesday before the team flew to the Alberta capital after not returning to action in Game 2.
The Oilers, meanwhile, have a couple of injury question marks heading into the crucial tilt at Rogers Place, including defenceman Darnell Nurse (suspected hip injury) and winger Evander Kane (sports hernia).
Veteran forward Corey Perry is also expected to dress. He sat out Game 2 of the best-of-seven series as a healthy scratch.
Edmonton had to play most of Monday with five blueliners after Nurse took a hit from Florida winger Evan Rodrigues in the first period. The 29-year-old got back out for a couple more shifts, but was largely a spectator from the bench.
鈥淟osing Darnell obviously wasn鈥檛 ideal early,鈥� Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard said after the game. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a big part of the back end.鈥�
Draisaitl, meanwhile, was assessed a two-minute roughing penalty on the play that injured Barkov, but avoided supplementary discipline from the league鈥檚 department of player safety.
The 28-year-old German has never been suspended by the NHL.
鈥淚 looked at it,鈥� Draisaitl said Thursday of the incident. 鈥淚鈥檓 not a player who plays with an intent to injure anybody by any means. I have no track record of that. I鈥檓 not a player who enjoys that part of the game 鈥� injuring other players or anything like that. I caught him in an unfortunate spot.
鈥淚鈥檒l leave it at that.鈥�
Barkov鈥檚 inclusion in the lineup is a big boost for the Panthers, who took the first two games of the series on home ice by limiting Edmonton鈥檚 firepower led by Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.
Panthers forward Kyle Okposo was impressed with 28-year-old鈥檚 ability to protect the puck and have a strong stick as an opponent.
The trade deadline acquisition has now seen the whole picture.
鈥淗e just does so many things exceptionally well,鈥� the 36-year-old said of Barkov. 鈥淗is awareness on the defensive side of the puck and how hard he works off the ice 鈥� just everything.
鈥淧henomenal all-around player. 鈥�
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