The latest on Aaron Ekblad after taking puck to hand in Panthers’ Game 2 Cup Final win
Take a sigh of relief, Florida Panthers fans.
Aaron Ekblad appears to be OK.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice on Saturday said the defenseman was fine after blocking a Darnell Nurse shot with his hand in the second overtime of Florida’s eventual 5-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Friday.
The blocked shot occurred 4:02 into the second overtime period, with Ekblad’s left hand taking the brunt of Nurse’s wrist shot from the point.
Ekblad skated to the bench in pain and was checked on by a trainer. He managed to play two more shifts in the game before Brad Marchand eventually ended it with his goal 8:05 into the second overtime to tie the best-of-7 series at 1-1.
Ekblad has been one of the top point-producing defensemen this Stanley Cup playoffs. He’s tied for third in the league among blueliners in points (11) and assists (eight) while being tied for fourth in goals (three) while averaging just shy of 24 minutes of ice time per game.
When Ekblad is on the ice at five-on-five this postseason, the Panthers are controlling 56.98 percent of shot attempts — the highest rate among Florida defensemen — while outshooting opponents 145-125 and outscoring them 14-12.
Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final is at 8 p.m. Monday from Sunrise’s Amerant Bank Arena.
This story was originally published June 7, 2025 at 12:09 PM.
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