Florida Panthers hold full team practice in Fort Lauderdale on June 17. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been providing consistent, quality play for the Florida Panthers. The veteran of 14 NHL seasons has never had an opportunity like the one he and his teammates are on the cusp of achieving. During his career, playoff hockey has not come frequently for Ekman-Larsson. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] He went to the Western Conference Final with the then-Phoenix Coyotes all the way back in his sophomore season, then played nine games in the bubble playoffs during the 2020 COVID year. Now the 32-year-old finds himself one win away from lifting the Stanley Cup above his head, and he’s playing some of his best hockey of the season. “There's a certain freedom to it,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “You see the veteran rise to the occasion, (there’s) excitement, and that's not just in the game, you see it in practice, moving around the rink. This is big for him. He’s been in the league a long time, (and he’s) very, very excited. There are players that just can kind of embrace it, and you start to see their best, He's skating as well as he’s skated all year. He's jumping into holes. He's playing with no fear. It's great leadership.” Ekman-Larsson has seen his role shift throughout his first season in Florida. Early on, he was asked to play top pairing minutes while seeing ample time on special teams as the Panthers waited for Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour to join the team following respective offseason surgeries. Once the team was at full strength, Ekman-Larsson was part of perhaps the deepest defensive corps in the NHL. After a couple of difficult, injury-impacted seasons in Vancouver led to a massive contract buyout, there was a bit of uncertainty surrounding the once highly regarded two-way defenseman. He sure found a good home in Florida. “It's been great for him, and the personality fit in our room has just been…I think he's enjoyed it,” Maurice said. “He's got countrymen here. He's got a lot of guys in his age group here, and he's flourished.” If there was anyone who wasn’t surprised by how good Ekman-Larsson looked when he arrived and how well he played after putting on his Panthers sweater, it was Maurice. That’s because he did his homework on OEL and knew that Florida was getting a version of OEL that closer resembled his pre-Canucks, healthier days. “I talked to somebody in Vancouver who's really smart hockey person and asked, ‘Does he got a year left?’ And he said, ‘No, he's got three or four,’” Maurice said. “This is just, he was in a very, very difficult spot, the injuries, the timing of the injuries, money issues. This guy’s a player, and he’s been exactly that for us.” Ekman-Larsson and the Panthers will hit the ice in Edmonton on Friday night for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. Will the veteran and his teammates claim Lord Stanley’s Cup, or will Edmonton force a seventh and deciding game back in South Florida? Stay tuned. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Paul Maurice makes light of Bill Zito viral water bottle throw following Game 5 loss [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/paul-maurice-makes-light-of-bill-zito-viral-water-bottle-throw-following-game-5-loss] The Hockey Show: Postgame reaction following Panthers Game 5 loss [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/the-hockey-show-postgame-reaction-following-panthers-game-5-loss] Panthers to host Stanley Cup Final Game 6 watch party at Amerant Bank Arena [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-to-host-stanley-cup-final-game-6-watch-party-at-amerant-bank-arena] Big Game 5 by Matthew Tkachuk must be repeated as Panthers struggle to close out Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/big-game-5-by-matthew-tkachuk-must-be-repeated-as-panthers-struggle-to-close-out-oilers] Three takeaways: Panthers want strong starts, need to stay out of penalty box [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/three-takeaways-panthers-want-strong-starts-need-to-stay-out-of-penalty-box] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
