Florida defenceman Aaron Ekblad has truly been placed on maintain for two prepared shouldering Lightning onward Brandon Hagel within the head halfway with Game 4 of the Panthers’ first-round playoff assortment versus Tampa Bay.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety revealed its judgment after a telephone listening to with Ekblad earlierTuesday He will definitely be out for Game 5 and both Game 6 of this assortment or the Panthers’ preliminary online game following spherical.
No fantastic was known as when Ekblad hit Hagel within the chin together with his perfect elbow joint and decrease arm with merely below 9 minutes left within the 2nd period onMonday Hagel left the ice and didn’t return, and Ekblad racked up the preliminary of two aims in 11 secs late within the third to supply the safeguarding Stanley Cup champs a resurgence triumph and a 3-1 assortment lead.
Coach Jon Cooper claimed Hagel would definitely not play in Game 5. Hagel was placed on maintain for Game 3 for his late hit that knocked Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov out of Game 2.
Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Brandon Hagel and Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad struggle for the puck all through a 2024 Stanley Cup Playoff online game. (Wilfredo Lee/The Associated Press)
The Belle River, Ont., indigenous missed out on the preliminary 2 video video games and the final 18 of the conventional interval after being placed on maintain forviolating the league and NHLPA’s performance-enhancing drug policy Florida obtained accustomed to enjoying with out Ekblad.
“If it’s the first time it happens, there’s even questions from the coaching staff about what’s the right adjustment to make in your lineup and how will that play out — there’s a lot of unknowns,” coach Paul Maurice claimed.
“Because we’ve been through it so much when Aaron’s out we know what the D-pairs are — let’s assume — if he’s out of the lineup.”
