The first stop of the 2024 NHL Global Series in Tampere, Finland went quite well for the Florida Panthers.
Despite dressing as the visiting team, Florida felt right at home playing at Nokia Arena, taking an early lead and never trailing en route to a 6–4 victory over the Dallas Stars.
It was a great night for the Panthers, but especially for their four Finnish players, who shared the spotlight playing on home soil.
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Of course, that night meant something unique and special to each of them.
For Panthers captain Sasha Barkov, playing an NHL game in the same area where he grew up must have hit him differently.
Let’s get to the conclusions of Friday’s Finnish hockey:
BIG NIGHT FOR BARKOV
The Panthers have four Finnish players on their roster and all were the center of attention during the NHL Global Series visit to Florida.
However, Bakov has been one of the most popular Finnish hockey players for more than a decade.
That’s why concern over Barkov’s lower-body injury, which kept him out of action for three weeks, has caught the attention of far more than just hockey fans in South Florida.
Luckily for everyone, Barkov recovered and returned to Florida’s lineup before traveling overseas to Finland.
Now that he’s back home and feeling great physically, it’s no surprise that Barkov put on a show on Friday.
He finished with a goal and three assists, one of which was shorthanded, winning eight of 11 faceoffs and earning a plus-3 on-ice rating.
“We’re happy for him, but I think maybe we saw that game from him, and we see it quite often, that’s why he’s a star in our league,” Maurice said. “It’s very nice to see the people who have been a part of his development, and not just his development in hockey, but also the teachers in the city. I asked him if he lived near here and he said, “About a mile,” and he attended both schools (too), so his life is here, in this area. So there are many proud Finns tonight, from his third grade teacher to his hockey coach and all the people who participated in his development. It seems right to me because he is a special man and a special person for our team, so everyone applauds him.”
FUN GAME TO WATCH
As for the game itself, a lot happened on the ice that got fans excited.
High-profile chances went both ways and goals came fast and furious.
Not exactly the kind of game either manager would be particularly happy with, but it was better for Maurice who emerged victorious.
However, don’t be surprised to see a closer, more playoff-like game on Saturday.
“So, 10 goals,” Maurice began. “None of the coaches were particularly happy with it, but there were probably 10 others who didn’t finish. The Dallas Stars are an incredibly skilled team. I think they are the most qualified team in the championship. So they own the puck, they are never out of the game, in fact they become more dangerous as the game goes on. If we take the initiative, then they will become more dangerous, because their risk profile will change slightly. They still respect the game, which is why they always compete for the Cup every year. It was a lot, they had a lot of good opportunities to score, so it wasn’t a boring hockey game. A lot has happened on both sides. Pete (DeBoer) and I will try to bore you to death tomorrow if we can get to that.
HUGE CROWD OF SMART HOCKEY FANS
One thing that became apparent to both the players on the ice and the coaches behind the bench is that they were in the presence of some truly wise hockey fans.
When asked to evaluate the crowd after the match, Maurice expressed words of true respect for the Finnish faithful.
“In markets where the game has been around for 100 years, they make exclamations at the right time,” Maurice explained. “When there’s a really tight play, but it’s a subtle play, or someone does something special with the puck, you can feel them notice it. I would call it a sophisticated crowd. The people who came tonight have seen a lot of hockey, they already know when something is going to happen (happens), they’ve been able to feel it unfold, how the game unfolds and there’s excitement there. “I certainly think they know the game.”
BREAKING HOCKEY NEWS – FLORIDA
The Panthers aim to score 4 points against the Stars in the NHL Global Series
Barkov and Lundell fulfill their childhood dreams at the NHL Global Series
Florida Finns thrive as Panthers defeat Stars 6-4 in NHL Global Series
Sam Reinhart wears a gold helmet during Panthers practice in Finland
