Despite exiting Tuesday’s win early after blocking a shot, Donovan Sebrango will be in the lineup and on the second pairing as the Florida Panthers host the Boston Bruins.
Donovan Sebrango exited Tuesday’s game late in the third period after blocking a shot against the Ottawa Senators, but thankfully, he avoided any serious injury.
The 24-year-old skated in 17:55 of ice time, recording one assist, blocking two shots, and throwing two hits. This season, Sebrango has played in 32 games for the Panthers, notching four assists.
Due to the growing list of injuries, which now includes Aaron Ekblad, who is likely done for the season with a broken finger, and Dmitry Kulikov, who wants to return but is dealing with a broken nose, Sebrango will skate on the second pairing with Mike Benning tonight against the Boston Bruins.
Benning has been very impressive during his first stint in the NHL, and his offensive nature should blend nicely with Sebrango, who is considered more of a stay-at-home defenseman.
The other two pairings will include Gustav Forsling and Seth Jones, who are likely skating together for one of the very first times, and Tobias Bjornfot and Mikulas Hovorka, a pair of defenders who were called up from the AHL yesterday afternoon.
The Panthers have seven games remaining and sit 13 points out of a playoff spot. Their chances are almost zero, but coach Paul Maurice and Bill Zito don’t want to see their team mail it in, as that is not the culture they’ve built with the players.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.