Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Turns out best effort of season

Barkov factored into all three Florida goals -- scoring the first and getting primary assists on the next two -- then sealed the deal in the shootout Tuesday against the Sabres.

Analysis:

The three points marked a season high for the ultra-talented 21-year-old, who's now up to 25 points in 33 games. That's a strong pace, but it's short of last year's thanks to a fall in Barkov's shooting percentage and the offensive struggles of his teammates. However, since a rocky stretch in October and November, he's been terrifically consistent, notching 20 points in the last 21 contests -- something much more like what we expect from 2013's No. 2 overall pick.