The Florida Panthers are the best team in the NHL right now. It is hard to argue it when you watch them play as they pass the eye test in every way.
They are also tied for the top record in the entire NHL with the Boston Bruins. They have a very good chance of coming out of the Eastern Conference.
On Monday, they took care of another elite team in the New York Rangers. They got a big 4-2 victory over them at Madison Square Garden.
One of the big reasons for that was the play of Aleksander Barkov. Florida's captain is one of the most skilled players in the NHL and it was on full display in this win.
The Florida Panthers are lucky to have a captain like Aleksander Barkov
When the Rangers had a 1-0 lead, Barkov made an incredible play on a goal scored by Sam Reinhart. It was a power-play goal for Florida that saw Barkov bat the puck out of mid-air more than once to find the stick of Reinhart who tapped it in.
Barkov JUGGLED the puck to assist on Reinhart's goal 😱 pic.twitter.com/OSko3aVSYv
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 5, 2024
You've heard of "goal of the year" candidates. Well, this is an "assist of the year" candidate. You won't see many plays better than this one in terms of playmaking.
Barkov wasn't done here either. He had another assist on another Reinhart goal just a few minutes later. Those were his 46th and 47th assists of the season. He also has 14 goals to go with those 47 for 61 points in 56 games played.
With the defensive play that he brings to the table, there is no doubt that he is one of the best two-way players in the game. There is a good chance that he will win the Selke Trophy later this season.
Barkov and the Panthers are going to be a force once the playoffs come around and it should be incredible to watch. There will be more spectacular plays like this one to enjoy from him as his incredible career goes on.