For Game 3 of their playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, the Florida Panthers were bolstered by the availability of two key players.
Captain Aleksander Barkov was cleared to play after being forced out of Game 2 following a hit from Tampa Bay`s Brandon Hagel. Additionally, defenseman Aaron Ekblad rejoined the lineup after serving a 20-game suspension.
Head coach Paul Maurice indicated Saturday morning that Barkov was feeling well, but the team planned to evaluate the star center`s condition after the pregame warmups. This followed a hard hit from Hagel late in Florida`s 2-0 victory over Tampa Bay on Thursday, a win that gave the Panthers a 2-0 series lead.
Brandon Hagel received a one-game suspension for the hit and was therefore absent from his team`s critical Game 3.
After the collision, Barkov remained on one knee briefly before skating off the ice to the Panthers` locker room. He missed the final 10:09 of the game. Hagel was assessed a five-minute major penalty for interference on the play, and a subsequent review by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on Friday resulted in the one-game suspension.
Ekblad`s return followed a 20-game suspension without pay imposed in March for violating the NHL and NHL Players’ Association’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
In a statement released via the NHLPA at the time, Ekblad expressed his shock at failing a random drug test and apologized for the incident.
Before his suspension, Ekblad was a significant contributor, averaging a team-high 23:31 of ice time over 56 games, tallying 33 points, and playing a crucial role on special teams.
Maurice mentioned he would likely not immediately place Ekblad on the power play, opting instead to gradually reintroduce him into 5-on-5 situations.
For Barkov, playing in this game extended his impressive playoff appearance streak. He has now played in all 73 of Florida`s playoff games since joining the franchise. He is the Panthers` all-time leader in playoff games played, assists (43), and points (62), and is tied for third in playoff goals (19).
