Lundell has provided the Panthers consistent two-way play regardless of which wingers have lined up beside him

As the Florida Panthers have embarked on their second deep playoff run in as many years, one of their young forwards is blossoming before our eyes.

Going back to training camp, Anton Lundell looked like he was poised for a big third season in the NHL.

He appeared faster and stronger entering year two of working in Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice’s systems, but the production wasn’t there during the first half of the season.

“I think what happened early on, he’s a young guy who’s got a contract coming up, and he doesn’t cheat the game, he just wanted to score, and he had a bunch of chances that didn’t go. I think it slowed his game a little bit.”

To be fair, several of Florida’s players did not have the kind of statistical stats to the season that they, or we, expected.

Collectively, they came together as a group just before Christmas to symbolically hit the reset button, and it wasn’t long after that when Lundell’s season turned around.

“Everybody had a funeral for everybody’s stats in the room, and then you just go play,” Maurice said. “We had the injury (to Sasha Barkov), (Lundell) goes in and plays with Sam Reinhart again and boom, he takes off. And then it didn’t matter who he played with.”

Lundell’s ability to move up in Florida’s forward ranks and keep every line he plays on performing at the same high levels is an immeasurable asset for the Panthers to have.

Earning the trust of the coaching staff by providing a steady, consistent two-way game is something that Lundell does not take lightly.

When the playoffs arrived, and Florida lost Sam Bennett for a few weeks with a hand injury, Lundell kept the train moving forward.

The combination of the success he’s had this season, the confidence that has come with it, and the knowledge and experience gained during last season’s playoff run have the stars aligning for Lundell at the perfect time.

“I’m just trying to do my best, and I think I've be able to play pretty good even if the lines have been changing,” Lundell said. “We all know each other, we have great players, but just for me, whoever I'm going to play with I'm just trying to make the best line possible and do everything I can to help my linemates and the team to win.”

On Wednesday, Lundell and the Panthers will kick off their second straight appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals.

As the Cats are preparing for what should be a hell of a battle with the New York Rangers, Lundell sat down for a chat with THN Florida. Here is what he had to say:

THN Florida – How are you enjoying the playoffs so far?

Anton Lundell – It’s been unreal. I’m enjoying it a lot. It's the most fun time of the year, for sure. We prepare to play in the playoffs the whole year, and now we are here, so I’m just trying to go day by day and enjoy it as much as I can.

THN – Does anything feel different to you this postseason, in terms of experience gained during last year’s playoff run?

AL – It's hard games in the playoffs, and I feel like I'm more ready for this year after going through the last year learning a lot from it. That’s the biggest thing.

THN – Are there any specific tips or lessons you’ve learned that have helped you to perform well during the playoffs?

AL – The more games play in playoffs, you kind of learn how they go. We saw how we were able to win last year's games, so we and I remember it. I’m just trying to execute as good as I can to do it again. Maybe those are the sort of things you learn, that there's gonna be wins and losses in the playoffs, but it's all about who's winning the next game. You’re just living day by day and trying to keep yourself as fresh as you can, and just build from past games.

THN – How have you been able to maintain a consistent level of two-way play while moving around on several different line combinations?

AL – I think it's probably because of what we went through last year, for me and the team, we kind of fought through it, and the whole season, we've been playing the same style, and nothing changes. So just more games.

THN – In terms of how well you’ve carried out your defensive assignments, does wrapping your head around the responsibilities of playing center while maintaining your all-around game make you feel more prepared for the increased intensity that comes with playoff hockey?

AL – I'm always trying to be play well on both ends on the ice, being strong in the D-zone and not giving a lot to them, and at the same time be able to produce in the O-zone and help the team that way. The way we play, as I said, nothing changes, it’s just a higher compete level in the playoffs, higher pace, more physical play, just everything matters a little more. We've been doing it the whole year so we trust in our game, we trust in each other and it's all about going out there and having fun and showing what we can do.

THN – We’ve discussed in the past your desire to be a player whose number is called in the game’s crucial moments. Now that you’re starting to earn some of those assignments, how good does it feel to know that hard work is paying off?

AL – Of course it's feels good. That shows you've been doing some stuff right, because they're not gonna put you out there if you're playing bad or if you're not ready for it. You have to earn that as well, and whenever they put me out, I'm ready to do the job in any situation. That's the player I want to be, that’s the player I'm trying to become. It's all about going step by step. You can’t jump from 0 to 100, you have to build and earn it. I’m just trying to play on the same high level and then anything can happen.

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