Florida Panthers: Lines, Updates, Preview for Round 2, Game 2 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Aaron Ekblad will return from his two game suspension and Mackie Samoskevich will draw back into the lineup as the Florida Panthers look to even up their second-around series at 1-1.
Aaron Ekblad will make his Round 2 debut in Game 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs as he returns from his two-game suspension.
“I’m really excited,” Ekblad said. “After Game 1, I’m hoping to provide some energy for the team.”
The Panthers have been without Ekblad for 22 of their past 24 games as he served two separate suspensions — a 20-game suspension for the use of performance-enhancing substances he was handed in March, and a two-game suspension for elbowing Brandon Hagel in the head of Game 4 of their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Florida managed to beat the Lightning in all three games they played without Ekblad, but the Maple Leafs picked the Panthers’ defense apart in a 5-4 victory in Game 1 of the second-round series. They are glad to have Ekblad back.
“We survived it,” coach Paul Maurice said. “We missed him, because he is a big part of what we do.”
The Maple Leafs beat the Panthers off the rush multiple times with speed, and that is an area Ekblad has grown to be able to help them with.
“They are a pretty dynamic team,” Ekblad said. “Obviously, they can make plays, we saw that in Game 1, and I’m excited to make my mark defensively.”
Ekblad is not the only player drawing back into the Florida lineup.
Mackie Samoskevich will draw into the lineup for the first time since being scratched in Game 4 in favor of A.J. Greer.
The 22-year-old forward registered an assist in his first three postseason games before Maurice opted to let the rookie learn from the press box.
“We put him in a challenging situation in that I think Tampa has the most dynamic rush game in the league in terms of stretching, bringing the puck back, speed on the off side,” Maurice said. “The reads are very advanced for forwards, it takes some experience. And then you throw on top of that it’s your first playoff game.
“You cannot explain to a young player — or at least I cannot articulate — the difference between a regular season game and a playoff game. So, we asked a lot of him, but I think he learned a lot. … He gets to watch, come back, and be the player he was for us in the regular season. He was really quick, very dynamic and got a real good release. The pressure is off him. He can just come back in and play.”
THE NEWS
Sergei Bobrovsky will start in net for the Panthers tonight.
Joseph Woll will start in net for the Maple Leafs. Anthony Stolarz will not dress for Wednesday night’s game. He is doing OK and “recovering,” per Toronto coach Craig Berube, after leaving Monday’s Game 1 on a stretcher after taking multiple blows to the head.
Tonight’s game will start at 7:00 p.m. EST and will be broadcasted nationally on ESPN.
Catch the Florida Panthers pre-game show on Scripps Sports with Jessica Blaylock, Ed Jovanovski, Randy Moller and Katie Engleson 30 minutes before puck drop.
For more information on how to find Scripps Sports, visit nhl.com/panthers/info/how-to-watch.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Matt Licthenstadter will be recording subscriber-exclusive podcast episodes following the conclusion of each playoff game. For Colby’s postgame stories right after the buzzer, check out palmbeachpost.com/sports
FLORIDA PANTHERS PROJECTED LINEUP
Presented by William Raveis Real Estate
Carter Verhaeghe — Aleksander Barkov — Sam Reinhart
Evan Rodrigues — Sam Bennett — Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen — Anton Lundell — Brad Marchand
Mackie Samoskevich — Nico Sturm — Jesper Boqvist
Gustav Forsling — Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola — Seth Jones
Nate Schmidt — Dmitry Kulikov
Sergei Bobrovsky
Vitek Vanecek
Scratched: Jaycob Megna, Tomas Nosek, Jonah Gadjovich, A.J. Greer, Uvis Balinskis
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS PROJECTED LINEUP
Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner
Max Pacioretty — John Tavares — William Nylander
Bobby McMann — Pontus Holmberg — Max Domi
Steven Lorentz — Scott Laughton — Calle Jarnkrok
Jake McCabe — Chris Tanev
Morgan Reilly — Brandon Carlo
Simon Benoit — Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Joseph Woll
Matt Murray
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (IR), David Kampf (DTD), Anthony Stolarz
Scratched: Dennis Hildeby, Dakota Mermis, Phil Myers, Nick Robertson
Maple Leafs Lines Courtesy of DailyFaceOff.com
*Opposing team lines subject to change.