OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Florida's first loss of the season might have been costly, with captain Aleksander Barkov leaving with 1:10 remaining after crashing into the end boards and getting hurt.
Barkov was trying to prevent an empty-net goal when he got hurt, giving chase toward a loose puck that Ottawa's Tim Stutzle tapped into the net to seal the Senators' 3-1 win. Stutzle and Barkov got tangled up and the Florida forward — at basically full speed — crashed feet-first into the end boards, immediately grimacing in pain.
Barkov needed about a minute before he could get to his feet, then needed help from teammates Evan Rodrigues and Uvis Balinskis to get off the ice and get to the Florida locker room for evaluation.
There was no immediate word on the nature or severity of the injury. It appeared that Barkov could put no weight on his right leg, which he flexed a couple of times as he made his way off the ice.
“He's going to get looked at here tonight, and probably tomorrow as well,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said in Ottawa after the game.
The Panthers were scheduled to fly to Buffalo on Friday afternoon and will play the Sabres on Saturday.
The play started innocently enough, with Barkov in the offensive end trying to help Florida tie the game. Down 2-1, Barkov tried a wrist shot from just inside the blue line and broke his stick in the process. The puck trickled only a few feet, then was flipped down the other end by Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk toward the empty Panthers net.
Barkov, without a stick, gave chase but couldn't stop Stutzle from scoring.
The 29-year-old Barkov — the reigning Selke Trophy winner as the NHL's best defensive forward — is in his 12th season, all with the Panthers. He was the first Finnish-born player to be the captain of a Stanley Cup champion when Florida topped Edmonton for last season's title.
The Panthers are scheduled to play two games in Barkov's homeland on Nov. 1 and 2, when they travel to Tampere, Finland for a pair of matchups against the Dallas Stars.
Barkov is the Panthers' career leader in a number of categories, including goals (266), assists (446), points (712) and game-winning goals (48).
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) is unable to prevent Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle (18) from scoring on the empty net during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024 in Ottawa, Ontario. (Justin Tang/Canadian Press via AP)
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) is helped off the ice by teammates after crashing into the boards with Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle, not shown, during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024 in Ottawa, Ontario. (Justin Tang/Canadian Press via AP)
DETROIT (AP) — Pinch-hitter David Fry had a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning, then bunted home an insurance run in the ninth to help the Cleveland Guardians force a decisive Game 5 against the Detroit Tigers in their AL Division Series with a 5-4 victory on Thursday night.
“David Fry is one of the best baseball players in this league,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.
Cleveland ended a streak of 11 losses in postseason elimination games dating to Game 6 of 1997 World Series after Emmanuel Clase retired got five outs for his third multi-inning save of the year.
“It’s win or go home,” Vogt said. “You want your best pitchers out there as long as possible.”
AL Cy Young Award favorite Tarik Skubal will start Game 5 for the Tigers on Saturday afternoon in Cleveland.
“It’s always comforting to have Tarik Skubal on the mound,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said.
The winner advances to the AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees or Kansas City Royals starting Monday.
“We’re still one win away,” Detroit first baseman Spencer Torkeslon said. "That’s the mindset. We don’t want it easy. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.
Fry said the Guardians’ resilience was no surprise.
“We’ve shown that all year long, that’s who these guys are,” he said. “We have a bunch of tough dudes. We get down 2-1 and we’re in the locker room like it’s just another day. We show up ready to play to try and get a win. And let’s go win Game 5.”
On the verge of reaching the ALCS for the first time since 2013, the Tigers overcame a 2-1 deficit when Zach McKinstry homered in the fifth off Tanner Bibee and Wenceel Pérez hit a run-scoring single in the sixth.
Steven Kwan singled off Sean Guenther with two outs in the seventh.
Beau Brieske had pitched scoreless ball for 5 1/3 innings over four postseason appearances before Fry, batting for Kyle Manzardo, drove a fastball off an advertising sign between the two bullpens in left for the second pinch-homer in Cleveland postseason history after Hank Majeski in Game 4 of the 1954 World Series.
Fry hit the fourth go-ahead pinch home run in postseason history when trailing in seventh inning or later after the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series, Toronto’s Ed Sprague in the 1992 World Series and Atlanta’s Eric Hinske in the 2010 NL Division Series
That quieted 44,923 fans who set a playoff attendance record for the second straight day at 25-year-old Comerica Park.
“Such a great baseball game,” Vogt said.
Clase preserved a 4-3 lead in the eighth when he escaped a second-and-third jam by striking out Trey Sweeney on a 100.9 mph cutter as the batter’s helmet came off.
Brayan Rocchio and Kwan hit one-out singles in the ninth and Fry bunted back to reliever Will Vest. Rocchio slid home headfirst to beat Vest's backhand flip, boosting the lead to 5-3.
That proved to be important.
Pinch-hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy doubled leading off the ninth, advanced on Parker Meadows’ groundout and scored on Jace Jung’s groundout.
Clase, who gave up Kerry Carpenter’s three-run homer in the ninth inning of the 3-0 loss in Game 2, struck out Matt Vierling, who couldn’t check his swing on a low and outside cutter.
“I was really excited to get to the mound, especially getting the trust back from the manager to get me in that role and that responsibility,” Clase said through an interpreter.
Lane Thomas ended the Guardians’ 20-inning scoreless streak with a two-out RBI single in the first off Reese Olson, who did not allow a run in the first inning of 22 regular-season starts
Sweeney hit a sacrifice fly in the second and José Ramírez put Cleveland ahead with a fifth-inning homere off Tyler Holton, ending an 0-for-10 skid.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Carpenter injured his left hamstring when he scored in the sixth and was pinch hit for in the seventh.
“It’s concerning, but I’m going to hold off any thoughts until the doctors give me an update and he gets imaging and all the things that we need to do prior to Saturday,” Hinch said.
UP NEXT
LHP Matthew Boyd may start Game 5 for the Guardians, whose last Game 5 was a loss to the Yankees in the 2022 ALCS. Vogt said the team will make that decision Friday.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio, right, scores in front of Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers, left, on a bunt by David Fry in the eighth inning of Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio, right, scores in front of Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers, left, on a bunt by David Fry in the eighth inning of Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Cleveland Guardians' Steven Kwan (38) celebrates with teammate Will Brennan, right, at the end of Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. The Guardians won 5-4. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Cleveland Guardians' Steven Kwan (38) celebrates with teammate Will Brennan, right, at the end of Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. The Guardians won 5-4. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges, left, celebrates with pitcher Emmanuel Clase at the end of Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. The Guardians won 5-4. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Cleveland Guardians' Will Brennan, left, and Josh Naylor celebrate at the end of Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. The Guardians won 5-4. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Hunter Gaddis throws against the Detroit Tigers in the seventh inning during Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Cleveland Guardians right fielder Will Brennan makes a sliding attempt at a double by Detroit Tigers' Parker Meadows in the first inning during Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas hits an RBI single to score teammate Steven Kwan in the first inning during Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Detroit Tigers pitcher Reese Olson throws against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning during Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee throws against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning during Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Tigers' Trey Sweeney hits an RBI sacrifice fly in the second inning during Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Cleveland Guardians' José Ramírez reacts after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning during Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Cleveland Guardians' José Ramírez hits a solo home run in the fifth inning during Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Cleveland Guardians' David Fry bunts in the ninth inning during Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Cleveland Guardians' David Fry celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the seventh inning during Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Cleveland Guardians' David Fry hits a two-run home run in the seventh inning during Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit.(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
