Panthers' Barkov won't play last 2 regular-season games

The Florida Panthers' playoff chase will have to continue without their top center.

Aleksander Barkov won't play in the Panthers' final two regular-season contests after he was forced from Thursday's game against the Boston Bruins in the third period with an upper-body injury.

Florida's hopes of making the playoffs rest on winning both of its remaining games, which come Saturday versus the Buffalo Sabres and Sunday against the Bruins.

The Panthers also need the Philadelphia Flyers to lose in regulation to the New York Rangers on Saturday in order to leapfrog them into the East's second wild-card spot.

Getting the job done without Barkov in the lineup is sure to make life a little more difficult for the Panthers. The Finnish forward leads the team in scoring with 78 points.

Florida last qualified for the playoffs in 2016, one of its two postseason appearances in the past 16 seasons.