Maurice `optimistic' about injury to Barkov
Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov is not expected to be sidelined for long due to a lower-body injury sustained in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, coach Paul Maurice told WQAM in Miami on Tuesday.
Barkov was injured following a seemingly innocuous hit along the boards by Jack Drury during the first period of Florida's 1-0 victory over visiting Carolina on Monday. The Panthers hold a 3-0 lead in the bestof-seven series heading into today's Game 4.
“We don't think it's anything too sinister, so he'll come in and get worked on real hard today and worked on real hard tomorrow,” Maurice said Tuesday. “We'll have a better idea after we see him today where he's at, but I would say I'm more on the optimistic side right now.”
Barkov, 27, has collected 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in the 15 playoff games to help Florida reach the conference final for the first time since 1996.
Former Maple Leafs GM Kyle
Dubas — fired last week to end a stunning five-day stretch following Toronto's second-round playoff exit — released a statement on Twitter, but didn't get into specifics regarding his dismissal.
“In the days that I felt I needed to assess and evaluate my own view to the future, both with respect to the necessary direction of the club and ensuring that I had the full support of my family for what I knew would be required in the off-season and years to follow, the organization, as is their right to do, decided to go in a different direction,” Dubas said in his statement on social media.
Toronto had unprecedented regular-season success under Dubas, but was unable to find traction in the playoffs during his five years in charge until this spring when the Leafs won a series for the first time in nearly two decades before meekly bowing out to Florida.
Dubas also thanked coaches, players and staff on Twitter, but didn't do the same for the Leafs — or mention team president Brendan Shanahan by name.
The Buffalo Bills are taking
it slowly with safety Damar Hamlin, who is being held back from participating in the team's first few days of voluntary practices some five months after having a near-death experience on the field, coach Sean McDermott said Tuesday.
“We're taking it one day at a time and just support Damar in every way possible,” McDermott said when asked of Hamlin's status, while noting the player is present at the facility.
The coach otherwise did not provide any timetable as to when Hamlin can begin on-field sessions a month after being cleared to resume his NFL career.
The 25-year-old Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field after making what appeared to be a routine tackle during a game at Cincinnati.