FORT LAUDERDALE – After losing two key players to injury during Saturday’s 5-1 win over the Calgary Flames, the Florida Panthers delivered some encouraging news on Monday.
Evan Rodrigues, who had to be helped to the locker room after blocking a shot in the second period, will be a game-time decision for Tuesday’s matchup at Dallas, while Aaron Ekblad, who was involved in a scary first-period collision, will miss at least two weeks and could return as early as the end of the month.
Given how questionable both incidents looked, this is likely the best outcome they could’ve hoped for.
For Ekblad, head coach Paul Maurice said the team will be extra cautious.
“We’re going to wait until he’s 100%,” he said after practice at the Baptist Health IcePlex.
If Rodrigues is unable to suit up against the Stars, veteran newcomer Kyle Okposo, who was acquired from the Sabres at the trade deadline, would be an option to take his place.
During this morning’s practice, Okposo was in Rodrigues’ spot on the third line.
In 61 games with Buffalo this season, he’d posted 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists).
“I think the guys already sense what kind of guy he is,” said forward Sam Reinhart, who played with Okposo in Buffalo. “On the ice, he’s a pro. He does everything well. "He’s going to fit into our systems well. He’s eager to win, and that’s what we want.”
On the blue line, Josh Mahura will get back in the lineup in Ekblad’s absence.
A luxury for the Panthers to have waiting in the wings, Mahura appeared in all 82 regular-season games last season -- his first in South Florida -- and 21 playoff games during the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final. In 20 games this season, he’s dished out six assists.
In Dallas, Mahura is expected to play with Dmitry Kulikov, while Oliver Ekman-Larsson will climb up from the third pair to the top pair to take Ekblad’s place next to Gustav Forsling.
When Ekblad and Brandon Montour were nursing injuries at the start of the season, those two pairs saw plenty of time together, so it’s safe to expect them to hit the ground running.
“Everybody has to deal with injuries, and we’ve done it before,” Maurice said of the changes. “We have continuity on our blue line from what we went through earlier.”
Aleksander Barkov also missed today’s practice, but is expected to play at Dallas.
Maurice also announced that Sergei Bobrovsky will get the start against the Stars.
Not allowing more than two goals in any of his previous 12 starts, Bobrovsky boasts a .945 save percentage in that stretch.
GLAD-JOVICH
Signing a two-year extension with the Panthers with an easy decision for Jonah Gadjovich.
"It's Florida, baby! You can't complain down here,” he smiled. “It's beautiful outside. It's an unreal team. I think just the group that's in here, everybody cares about everybody. To have a chance at doing something special this year definitely makes you want to come back."
After inking a pair of one-year deals in the two seasons following his entry-level contract, Gadjovich, who put pen to paper on Thursday, is now looking forward to a stress-free summer.
“It’s huge,” he said. “The other deals I’ve done have come pretty late in the offseason. Just to be able to finish the year and go into the summer knowing I’m coming back is huge.”
Joining the Panthers on a one-year deal back in October, Gadjovich quickly endeared himself to both teammates and fans through his hard-nosed, physical style of play.
In 25 games this season, the 25-year-old forward has produced four points (two goals, two assists), 71 hits and 90 penalty minutes. One of the NHL’s premier fighters, he’s also dropped the gloves with an opponent eight times.
More than anything, Gadjovich just wants to be a piece of the puzzle for the Panthers.
“I just try to do what’s asked of me every day,” he said. “If my team or my coaches need something from me, I’m going to try and do it. I’m going to try and contribute in any way that I can. I think that’s important for successful teams.”
TWO-GAME TEST
Speaking of success, the Panthers will be put to the test against two other top teams this week.
Sitting at 44-17-4 and leading the NHL with 92 points as they hit the road, the Panthers, who've won 17 of their last 20 games, will visit the Stars (40-17-9, 89 points) on Tuesday and the Hurricanes (39-19-6, 84 points) on Thursday before heading home.
In the last 10 games, the Stars, who lead the Central Division, have gone 6-3-1, while the Hurricanes, who were swept by Florida in last year’s Eastern Conference Final, are 7-2-1.
“I think we’ve got about 10 playoff teams coming up, and they’re all trying to do the exact same thing we are,” Maurice said. “We’re trying to get our game right for the playoffs.”
As you’d expect, both teams were also buyers prior to last week’s trade deadline.
The Stars bolstered their defensive depth by acquiring Chris Tanev (15 points, 59 games) from the Flames and, in a sense, made an internal addition with the promotion of forward prospect Logan Stankoven, who’s scored five goals in his first eight NHL games.
Bolstering their scoring with a pair of former Stanley Cup champions, the Hurricanes acquired forward Jake Guentzel (52 points, 50 games) from the Penguins and forward Evgeny Kuznetsov (17 points, 45 games) from the Capitals.
Guentzel is currently on LTIR with an upper-body injury.
“These are the games you want at this time of the year,” Reinhart said. “You want to be playing against the best. We’ve got a couple nice challenges ahead. It’s easy to stay in the moment and focus on our game.”
Stay tuned to FloridaPanthers.com for coverage throughout the week.
MONDAY’S PRACTICE LINES
Forwards
Vladimir Tarasenko – Steven Lorentz – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Kyle Okposo
Nick Cousins – Kevin Stenlund – Ryan Lomberg
Jonah Gadjovich
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Niko Mikkola – Brandon Montour
Josh Mahura – Dmitry Kulikov
Tobias Björnfot
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz
Did not practice: Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Evan Rodrigues
