Lundell and Lorentz are not only providing crucial depth, but quality minutes for Florida

When talking about the strengths of the Florida Panthers, the conversation usually begins by discussing their depth.

One of the big goals of Florida’s front office last summer was to bolster the team’s armor.

Panthers General Manager Bill Zito had already done an excellent job building a team full of high-end talent, but now it was time to make sure all that talent would be very well supported.

It took all of two games once the playoffs arrived for that depth to be tested.

Two of the Panthers regular forwards, Sam Bennett and Ryan Lomberg, have had to miss time during Florida’s opening round series against Tampa Bay.

Lomberg has been sick and unable to play the past two games while Bennett suffered an upper-body injury during Game 2 and will be out at least a week.

These developments led to opportunities for other Panthers players to step up in a big spot, and that’s exactly what Anton Lundell and Steven Lorentz did during Thursday’s Game 3 in Tampa.

Lorentz barely played during the second half of the season, logging just four games between late December and late March.

He got back into the lineup toward the end of the regular season, playing in nine of Florida’s final 13 games. And while no, he didn’t log any points or do anything in particular to jump off the page, Lorentz did fit in perfectly with the way Florida was playing, forechecking tightly, transitioning quickly and making sure to keep the play moving whenever he had the puck on his stick.

“There were some darker days throughout the start of the season, that I just wasn't fitting in, and I was frustrated with myself, and I didn't really know what was going on, but I didn't want to show that and be a bad teammate,” Lorentz said. “So eventually, I don't know what clicked, but I just started playing a little bit harder and just doing what the coaches were asking, simplifying, not trying to score three goals to make a big bang and big splash get back in the lineup. I appreciate that the coaches put their faith back in me and showed me opportunities to be able to go out there and earn that spot back, and I've just kind of taken the ball and ran with it.”

The simple idea of putting his head down and getting to work has really paid off for Lorentz.

It’s something that has been appreciated by not only his teammates, but also his head coach.

“I hope people fully appreciate what he went through this year, because by the time we got into that January-February run, he was out, and we just stayed healthy,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “He took such a long block of time off and never came into the office and complained, not once. He just worked hard every day and he supported his teammates. It's kind of one of those quiet little…I would say right stories in the NHL. You work your ass off, you don't complain, you do all the right things, something good would happen. So first playoff goal, good for him. We're happy for him, he did it right.”

As for Lundell, he finished the regular season strong, logging four goals and six points during Florida’s eight regular season games in April prior to the playoffs.

That’s why with Bennett out, it made sense to see Maurice turn to Lundell when looking for someone to fill that role.

Skating between a couple elite playoff performers like Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe might be a little intimidating for some, but Lundell continues to show that he’s ready to run with any new challenge he’s presented with.

“He’s pretty excited to come to the rink tonight,” Maurice said after Game 3. “That Verhaeghe guy’s not bad and Tkachuk, he can put some points up, so he knows that this can be exciting.

“He didn’t cheat the game and he still created. I was happy for him.”

Maurice wasn’t the only one to give Lundell a ringing endorsement.

After the game, one of his new linemates was asked about the youngster’s performance.

“He was very easy to play with,” said Tkachuk. “He made some really smart plays, he was holding on to pucks, he was skating with it, putting us in some great positions as wingers for me and Swaggy (Verhaeghe), giving us the puck at perfect times. He was hard to play against, really good on draws, and I thought he was awesome.”

Lundell and Lorentz are both expected back in the lineup, respectively centering Florida’s second and fourth lines, when the Panthers take the ice for Game 4 against Tampa Bay on Saturday afternoon.

Florida will be looking to complete just the second playoff sweep in franchise history.

“It takes everybody this time of year,” said Tkachuk. 

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