Panthers head coach provides an update on the injured Radko Gudas ahead of Game 3 of the Cup Final
Nobody likes seeing a player suffer any type of an injury, but when Vegas Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev nailed Florida Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas in the first period of Game 2 on Monday, forcing him out of the game, some in Leafs Nation viewed it as karma, not only for Gudas taking liberties on players throughout these playoffs, but also for screaming in the face of rookie goaltender Joseph Woll after holding Calle Jarnkrok's stick on Florida's game-winner in Game 5 to eliminate the Leafs in Round 2.
In case anyone missed Barbashev's bone-rattling hit on Gudas, you can see the hit below.
Gudas played just over 2 minutes in Game 2 before being shut down for the night, so, naturally, when he didn't show up for practice on Wednesday, many thought he was out for Game 3.
However, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has since confirmed that Gudas is expected to suit up in front of the home crowd after all.
For Game 2, Gudas was already banged up coming into the game. Because of this, Florida dressed 11 forwards and 7 defensemen. It stands to reason that they could opt for the same setup on home ice in Game 3.
We know that players often play through injuries in the playoffs and we don't often find out the extent of the injuries they were playing through until after the playoffs end, so I'm sure we'll have an update on Gudas in the coming weeks. He's set to become a UFA this summer.
| POLL | ||
7 JUIN | 120 ANSWERS Panthers head coach provides an update on the injured Radko Gudas ahead of Game 3 of the Cup Final Would you like to see Radko Gudas in a Leafs sweater next season? | ||
| Yes | 54 | 45 % |
| No | 66 | 55 % |
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