Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Dishes pair of assists

Barkov recorded two assists, two shots on goal, three hits, four blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Oilers in Game 1.

Barkov has a goal and five assists over his last five contests. The 28-year-old is firmly in the Conn Smythe conversation with six goals, 13 helpers, 47 shots on net, 40 hits, 17 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating over 18 playoff appearances, to go along with his usual stellar defensive work. Aside from the score, the Panthers didn't control much Saturday, and Barkov may have his hands full with arguably the toughest defensive matchups he's faced all season throughout the rest of the series.