Will Radko Gudas be back for Game 3 against Vegas Golden Knights?

Radko Gudas left Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals early on, due to an injury. Luckily, he is likely to play in Game 3.

Gudas was hit by Vegas Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev and even before the game, there were rumblings Gudas was injured. The Florida Panthers dressed seven defensemen in case he couldn't play.

With Game 3 on Thursday, the Panthers held a practice on Wednesday and Gudas was not a participant. However, head coach Paul Maurice says he expects Gudas to play in Game 3.

Getting Radko Gudas back in the lineup is big news for Florida as he has been a key player for them throughout the playoffs. Maurice has spoken glowingly about how Gudas' physicality and defensive abilities have helped the Panthers this season.

“He is really important,” Maurice said. “He is a force, but he is also a much better hockey player. He makes the highlight films because of his physical play but the quality of his play is very, very high. You miss a guy when he goes out.”

Matthew Tkachuk gave his thoughts on the matter as well:

"He's been such a warrior for us," Tkachuk said about Gudas. "All the little things he does that nobody really sees, like the physicality, he's kind of like the leader back there with the way he plays, that style. He's such an important payer for us. Definitely wasn't ideal for us to see him go down early."

Radko Gudas' playoff stats

Although Radko Gudas does not help the offense much, he is a key player on the backend. He is a physical defenseman who uses his size to win puck battles and get the puck out quickly. He also lays big hits, which no doubt has an impact on the game.

So far, Gudas has three assists in 18 playoff games this season, as well as 30 penalty minutes. However, he plays around 15 minutes a night on defense.

Getting Radko Gudas back is huge news for the Florida Panthers who find themselves down 0-2 in the series. Yet, despite losing both games on the road and getting blown out in Game 2, the Panthers remain confident they can win the Cup.

"It's never over," Panthers forward Anton Lundell said following Game 2. "We saw that against Boston. We still believe. We're down [2-0 in the series], but it's not over. We want to rest, recover and be ready to go on home ice. We'll get a lot of energy from our home fans."

"We're excited to get home," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. "Clearly we have to be strong at home, and we're prepared to be. … We feel that our best hockey is still ahead of us."

Game 3 goes down in Florida on Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern.