Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, seeing game action for the first time since missing the entire 2025-26 NHL season with a knee injury, scored Finland's only shootout goal in the Finns' 5-4 loss to Switzerland in a preparation game leading up to the World Championships next week. Looking like the playoff monster who recorded 22 points (6 goals, 16 assists) in the 2024-25 post-season that ended with the Panthers' second Stanley Cup victory, Barkov attempted his usual backhander to beat Swiss goaltender Leonardo Genoni. Despite Panthers teammate Anton Lundell notching three assists, Finland fell in the friendly on Thursday when Tyler Moy and Theo Rochette each scored in the shootout for the Swiss at the Angelholm Catena Arena in Sweden. The World Cup Championships will run from May 15-31 in Switzerland. The Finns were able to count on nine players from North America, including captain Barkov, who played top line center and teamed up with Lundell on the Power Play 1 line.…