The Florida Panthers have avoided the worst as coach Paul Maurice expects Anton Lundell and Aaron Ekblad to be fine.
The Florida Panthers were forced to finish last night’s game against the Utah Mammoth without center Anton Lundell and defenseman Aaron Ekblad. Thankfully, the news is that they’ll be fine.
Lundell finished Tuesday’s game with just 12:19 of ice time, throwing two hits and firing three shots on goal. The designation right now is that the injury is to the upper body, but after the game, coach Paul Maurice said there is minimal concern and that he should be ready for Thursday’s game against the St. Louis Blues.
Ekblad left the game in the third period after blocking a shot. Ekblad mentioned that he is fine and that the shot he blocked broke his shin pad. There was plenty of concern following the block, as the 29-year-old was unable to put any weight on his leg.
Ekblad has played in 51 of the Panthers’ 52 games, scoring three goals and 21 points. Lundell has skated in all 52 games, notching 15 goals and 35 points, closing in on his previous career highs.
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.