Bettman obliged, so Barkley made the trip to Tampa Bay.Marchessault's goal was his 13th in his last 13 playoff games, his fourth of this series and his third with the man advantage.Īs if all that wasn't enough, there was a little history in there as well. He joined ESPN’s set that evening and said he called NHL commissioner Gary Bettman the day of the game to ask for a pair of tickets. Just last year, he made it to a game during the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, watching Tampa Bay beat Colorado in Game 3. He got the pronunciation right Sunday.)Īs Barkley pointed out, his hockey fandom is nothing new. (Barkley previously mispronounced Bobrovsky’s name on TNT, saying, “Bo-bov-ka,” which hockey fans got a kick out of online. But man, Vegas, their depth is incredible.” (Jonathan) Marchessault has been amazing. But listen, Jack Eichel, that trade they made a few years ago, it’s paying dividends. “(Sergei) Bobrovsky has been amazing for the Panthers. “Everybody likes Matthew Tkachuk,” he said. He called Game 1 a feel-out game.īetween the two star-studded teams, there have been plenty of players he’s enjoyed watching. Barkley believes that time off before heading into a difficult environment contributed to the Panthers’ three-goal loss.

The Golden Knights, meanwhile, needed six games to beat Dallas, so the Panthers had a 10-day layoff between series. The Panthers swept Carolina in the Eastern Conference final, which allowed star wing Matthew Tkachuk to visit the “Inside the NBA” set while the crew was in Miami for the Heat-Celtics series. “Vegas is playing well,” he told The Athletic before Game 2 of the NBA Finals. With Barkley following from Denver, the Golden Knights won 5-2 in Game 1.

But he’s still keeping tabs on the Stanley Cup Final between Vegas and Florida. He got to know Flyers players while in Philadelphia and has loved the sport since.īarkley is now working the NBA Finals for NBA TV, and he’s probably not turning off Nuggets-Heat this time of year. The Basketball Hall of Famer became a hockey fan while with the 76ers in the 1980s.

“This game is boring as hell.”Īnd for Barkley, hockey isn’t boring. “I was watching hockey on TBS, I’m not gonna lie,” he said.

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