Aaron Ekblad is back ‘battling’ with Panthers in playoffs, but knows he needs to improve
Aaron Ekblad took the moment Sunday to reflect. After being away from the Florida Panthers for 20 games while serving a suspension handed to him for violating the terms of the NHL and NHLPA performance enhancing substances program, the top-pair defenseman returned to the lineup on Saturday as the team competes in its first-round Stanley Cup playoffs series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
And while the results weren’t there — Florida lost the Game 3 matchup 5-1 and Ekblad was on the ice for each of Tampa Bay’s first four goals — being back on the ice and playing a meaningful hockey game reminded Ekbald what he had missed.
It will also serve as motivation as Ekblad and the Panthers, who enter Game 4 on Monday night leading the best-of-7 series 2-1, look to close out the series strong and continue their push to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
“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.”
Ekblad had some bright spots in his return even though it ultimately wasn’t his night.
He was on the ice for 20:20 on Saturday, fourth on team behind Seth Jones (23:57), Gustav Forsling (21:58) and Sam Reinhart (21:54) and about three minutes below his season average (23:31). He reunited with Forsling as Florida’s top defense pairing at five-on-five and returned as a key cog on the penalty, which remained excellent as the Lightning has gone just 1 for 13 on its power play. Ekblad did not, however, retake his spot on the power play, with Jones and Nate Schmidt staying in those roles.
Ekblad had two shots on goal, five shot attempts and two scoring chances while also drawing two penalties, logging two hits, and blocking a team-high-tying four shots.
And while Ekblad was positionally correct on defense and made the right reads on his assignments, he at times was a step behind. That led to issues with gap control, and Tampa Bay executed.
“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.”
Panthers coach Paul Maurice said that slow step is to be expected when a player misses extended time. He pointed to how Dmitry Kulikov fared when he returned late in the regular season after missing a month with an upper-body injury. His intentions were right, but it took a couple games to fully round back into form.
“That’s normally what will happen with the defensemen,” Maurice said, “but especially when you throw them into a playoff game. It takes a little longer at that time.”
When Ekblad is performing at his best, the Panthers know what they get from him.
Ekblad, in the final year of an eight-year, $60 million contract, is the longest-tenured defenseman in franchise history and holds team records for games played (732), goals (118), assists (262) and points (380) among Panthers blueliners.
He finished the regular season with 33 points (three goals, 30 assists) in 56 games played this season.
“On the ice, he’s a great player,” fellow defenseman Niko Mikkola said. “He’s been a part of the group for a long time. In the locker room, he’s a loud guy and big character. It’s great to have him back.”
Ekblad took full ownership for the suspension he was handed, admitting at the time of the suspension that he “made a mistake by taking something to help me recover from recent injuries without first checking with proper medical and team personnel.”
“I have let my teammates, the Panthers organization and our great fans down. For that, I am truly sorry,” Ekblad said in a statement released by the NHLPA. “I have accepted responsibility for my mistake and will be fully prepared to return to my team when my suspension is over. I have learned a hard lesson and cannot wait to be back with my teammates.”
He had to remain away from the team for the first four weeks of the suspension, not allowed to rejoin team activities until April 11. Since the suspension was handed out with only 18 regular-season games left on the schedule, Ekblad also had to miss Florida’s first two playoff games against the Lightning — “the toughest two games to miss,” Ekblad said.
He returned on Saturday and knows better days have to be ahead if he and the Panthers want their season to extend beyond this series with the Lightning.
“You have to refocus, get ready for the next one,” Ekblad said. “Onward and upward.”
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