Panthers' Ekblad to have hearing for hit on Hagel, who will miss Game 5
Published
Florida Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad will have a phone hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety over a hit to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel during his team's 4-2 Game 4 victory on Monday night.
There was no penalty on the play.
Ekblad, 29, saw his second action of the playoffs on Monday night, having completed a 20-game suspension for a violation of the NHL-NHLPA's performance-enhancing drugs policy on Saturday.
Hagel to miss Game 5
The hit in question occurred during the second period of Game 4 where Ekblad appeared to catch Hagel, who was returning from a one-game suspension for a hit on Aleksander Barkov in Game 2, in the head with a forearm. Hagel would not return for the rest of the game.
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper announced Tuesday that Hagel will miss Wednesday's Game 5 with the Lightning's season on the line.
The 26-year-old winger is coming off a career-best regular season, in which he posted 35 goals and 90 points in 82 games. He is without a point in three games in the first-round series.
In his second game back, Ekblad was third on the Panthers in ice-time at 22:01. He scored the team's second goal at 16:13 of the third period that Seth Jones followed up with the winner only 11 seconds later. Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe also scored for the Panthers. Mitchell Chaffee and Erik Cernak scored for the Lightning.
Mikkola fined
The Department of Player Safety also announced a $5,000 fine, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for Panthers blueliner Niko Mikkola for boarding against the Bolts' Zemgus Girgensons.
The hit occurred just 19 seconds into the third period. Mikkola received a five-minute major and game misconduct on the play.
The Panthers lead the series 3-1 with Game 5 set for Wednesday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa.