SUNRISE, Fla. - The Panthers are at full strength heading into the postseason.
After sitting out the final six weeks of the regular season while recovering from a lower-body injury suffered in March, Aaron Ekblad will slot back in on the blue line for the Panthers when they kick off their first-round playoff series against the Capitals at FLA Live Arena on Tuesday.
PREVIEW: Ekblad back as Panthers kick off playoff series with Capitals
"It's really important for our group," Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said. "He's our best guy back there. He means so much not just to the defensive side of the game, but also the offensive side of the game. He really dictates the way we play. He's a big part of our team."
Despite being limited to just 61 games, Ekblad had been playing the best hockey of his career prior to being knocked out of the lineup. In addition to setting new career-highs in assists (42) and points (57), he also led Florida's defensemen in goals (15) and ice time per game (24:55).
At 5-on-5, Ekblad's 58.16 CF% led all Panthers blueliners.
"He's our best defenseman," Huberdeau said of his longtime teammate. "Guys had to step up when he wasn't there. Getting him back is just good for our team. He plays every minute. He plays everywhere and in every situation. He's obviously going to help our back end, for sure."
During this morning's skate, Ekblad, much to his delight, was skating right back in his old spot alongside MacKenzie Weegar on the team's top-defensive pairing. With a knack for playing on both sides of special teams, he's also expected to quarterback the top power-play unit tonight.
But with just a few practices under his belt, the team will be mindful of his minutes.
"We'll see how it goes," Brunette said of managing Ekblad's workload. "We'll try to manage him a little bit. He's such a competitive guy that he's going to watch to go every shift. We just have to be a little bit of a parent and be aware of where he's at. .... We have a good feel for it."
With their No. 1 defenseman coming back in the fold, the Panthers will look to get off on the right foot in Game 1 against the Capitals as they aim to win their first playoff series since 1996.
Capturing their first-ever Presidents' Trophy, the Panthers posted a 58-18-6 record to claim the top seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Capitals, the only 100-point team to qualify for the playoffs as an eighth seed, went 44-26-12 to lock down the second-wild card spot in the East.
Meeting for the first time in the postseason, the Panthers took two of three games against the Capitals during the regular season. That being said, there's likely not much to be gained from looking back at those matchups given that all three took place all the way back in November.
Fueled by one of the NHL's deepest forward groups in recent memory, the Panthers, who had 10 different players finish with at least 40 points, led the NHL with a franchise-record 337 goals.
Leading the charge up front, Huberdeau set a franchise record and ended up tied for second in the NHL with a career-high 115 points (30 goals, 85 assists). After him, captain Aleksander Barkov tallied 88 points (39 goals, 49 assists), while Sam Reinhart had a career-high 82 points (33 goals, 49 assists).
In addition to their work at 5-on-5, Florida owned the NHL's fifth-ranked power play at 24.4%.
Getting the nod in Game 1, Sergei Bobrovsky, who earned wins in 13 of his last 14 decisions heading into the playoffs, set a single-season franchise record and finished tied for first in the NHL in victories, posting a 39-7-3 record on top of a .913 save percentage and three shutouts.
"Everybody contributed to our success," Huberdeau said. That's how it's been all year. It's not just a couple lines -- it's all four lines, all the defensemen, Bob and Knighter. That's our team."
A middle-of-the-pack team on both offense and defense, the Capitals are looking to advance past the first round for the first time since they hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2018. Not lacking experience, many players from that championship squad will be on the ice against Florida.
Expected to suit up tonight after missing the final three games of the regular season with an upper-body injury, Alex Ovechkin led Washington with 90 points (50 goals, 40 assists). Next on the scoring leaderboard, Evgeny Kuznetsov tallied 78 points (24 goals, 54 assist), while John Carlson ranked third and led the team's defensemen with 71 points (17 goals, 54 assists).
Vitek Vanecek will get the nod in net against the Panthers after starting three of five games for the Capitals to close out the regular season. Splitting time with Ilya Samsonov throughout the campaign, Vanecek posted a 20-12-6 record with a .908 save percentage and four shutouts.
"They're a really good forechecking team with a lot of depth forwards and good-moving defensemen," Panthers forward Patric Hornqvist said of the Capitals. "Our speed is going to be key. We could probably say that every time we stand here. … Don't let them have those transitions that they want because they're really skilled up front and can make plays from nothing. We just have to make sure we're dialed in on the lines and outwork them out there."
While the Capitals were the best team in the NHL during the regular season on the road, Panthers led the league with a franchise-record 34 wins at home. As it has been for the past several months, the Panthers are expecting to get a huge boost from their home fans tonight.
Let's get rowdy, Cats fans!
"It's what we've worked for all year, and now we're here," Huberdeau said. "We're excited for Game 1, especially being at home. We're going to be ready right from the get-go tonight."
PANTHERS PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Carter Verhaeghe -- Aleksander Barkov -- Anthony Duclair
Jonathan Huberdeau -- Sam Bennett -- Claude Giroux
Mason Marchment -- Anton Lundell -- Sam Reinhart
Ryan Lomberg -- Eetu Luostarinen -- Patric Hornqvist
Defensemen
MacKenzie Weegar -- Aaron Ekblad
Gustav Forsling -- Radko Gudas
Ben Chiarot -- Brandon Montour
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Spencer Knight
WHO'S HOT
Panthers:Aleksander Barkov has 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) over his last 15 games. … Jonathan Huberdeau has 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) over his last 11 games. … Sam Reinhart has 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) over his last 12 games.
Capitals:Alex Ovechkin has 12 points (eight goals, four assists) over his last 11 games. … John Carlson has 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) over his last 13 games. … Evgeny Kuznetsov has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) over his last 14 games.
THEY SAID IT
"Expectations are part of it. I think we've handled the pressure really well. We enjoy the pressure and stuff like that. We play really well when we're under pressure. I think it's a good thing." - Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov on entering playoffs as a No.1 seed.
"Obviously, he is the best goal scorer in the League and goals are important. You can see last three games we didn't score a lot. For sure we need him as a captain, as a leader, as our goal scorer, so we need everyone, everybody healthy right now so it is good." - Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov on Alex Ovechkin.
FIVE CATS STATS
- The Panthers set an NHL record with 13 overtime wins this season.
- Florida owns a 6-2-1 record against Washington in their last nine home games.
- The Panthers matched an NHL record with 29 comeback wins this season.
- Florida led the NHL with 191 goals at home, the most by any club since 1996-97.
- Radko Gudas led the Panthers with a franchise-record 355 hits.
PANTHERS NEWS
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PLAYOFFS: Panthers vs. Capitals Round 1 Preview
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Panthers Agree to Terms with Defenseman Santtu Kinnunen
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NOTEBOOK: Ekblad hits the ice for first playoff practice
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Territory Talk: NHL.com's Dan Rosen talks Panthers, playoffs & more!
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Knight Named NHL 'Rookie of the Month' for April
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PROSPECTS: NCAA champ Mike Benning joins 'Panthers Pipeline' podcast
HOW TO WATCH / LISTEN
When:Tuesday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: FLA Live Arena - Sunrise, FL
TV & Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports App, ESPN2
Radio:560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM App & Streaming 932
Tickets:
HERE
IN-ARENA ACTIVATIONS
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Save money by paying for parking before you arrive to tonight's game.
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Support the Florida Panthers Foundation and try to win big with the 50/50 Raffle.
- As part of a special pre-game happy hour, fans can enjoy drink specials, face painting and a jam with a DJ outside of the arena at the CITY Furniture Patio an hour prior to doors opening.
- Keep your eyes peeled around the arena throughout the game for delicious new food destinations including a Mac and Cheese Bar, Pizza Stand, Kosher Stand and Taco Stand.
- The first 15,000 fans to arrive will receive a rally towel sponsored by CITY Furniture.
