Aaron Ekblad Looks to Bounce Back From Rough Return
Aaron Ekblad was a minus-4 in 20:20 of time-on-ice in his return from a 20-game PED suspension.
Aaron Ekblad’s return to the Florida Panthers lineup did not go as planned.
The star defenseman had a plus-minus of minus-4 in 20:20 of time-on-ice in the Panthers’ 5-1 loss in Game 3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Florida looked disoriented on defense at times in Game 3 after only allowing two goals in the first two games, with Tampa Bay creating offense off the rush with its speed, which it failed to do in the first two games.
Ekblad took responsibility for that.
“After watching all of my clips from last game, I think there were a few times and opportunities where I could have had a little better gap control,” Ekblad said. “That’s a timing thing and that’s something that will come.”
The 29-year-old defenseman had been out of the Panthers lineup since March 10, when he was issued a 20-game suspension for using performance-enhancing substances. The suspension included a month where he was not able to attend team practices and activities.
There was some rust for Ekblad to shake off, even after he was able to begin skating with the team on April 10.
“It felt like every time I went to make a pass out there, it was knocked down,” Ekblad said. “I think it got better and better as the game went on, but I just couldn’t find any easy plays out there. When I was out there, the puck happened to go into our net. That’s a tough spot to be in but that’s the playoffs. You have to refocus, get ready for the next one. Onward and upward.”
Even through a game like Game 3, Ekblad is just happy to be back out there with the team again, and he knows he is fully capable for bouncing back from a game like that.
In Florida’s 5-1 Game 1 loss to the Boston Bruins in last year’s second-round series, Ekblad was a minus-2 as Boston took advantage of some miscues while he was on the ice. He bounced back to finish the series with two assists and a plus/minus of plus-2 in the remaining five games to help the Panthers win it in six.
“To be battling with the team means everything — win or lose,” Ekblad said. “Enjoying the good moments and suffering through the tough ones is everything you want as an athlete.”