The Florida Panthers have taken down the Tampa Bay Lightning by a series score of 4-1 after beating them in Game 5 by a score of 6-3. Their next opponent in their quest to repeat as Stanley Cup champions will be the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team they’ve beaten in the second round two postseasons ago.
A big part of their success in the postseason has been their physical play. The team has shown they’re not ones to shy away from getting dirty. However, they may have to tone it down a smidge as it could result in disciplinary action from the NHL. In the first round alone, the team has racked up a whopping 72 penalty minutes through five games.
It’s Already Happened to Tampa
The Lightning have already experienced hearings from the league in regards to getting physical. After a late targeted hit to Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, forward Brandon Hagel was suspended for Game 3.
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The Bolts would end up winning that game 5-1, making the series 2-1 in favor of Florida at the time. However, it showed that the league won’t tolerate these actions for long.
Aaron Ekblad Was Suspended for His Physicality
On Tuesday, the NHL announced that defenseman Aaron Ekblad was suspended for two games for his hit on Hagel in Game 4. This comes after returning from his 20-game suspension for violating the NHLPA’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
Granted, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl faced no disciplinary action after landing a very similar hit to Barkov in the Stanley Cup Final last year. Fans have every right to be upset over the two outcomes. Regardless, it’s clear that the league is putting this series under a microscope, and players must proceed with caution.
Niko Mikkola Was Fined $5,000
Defenseman Niko Mikkola got the better side of his situation. He was only fined $5,000 for his hit on Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.
It could have been a lot worse. They would’ve been without two of their starting defenseman and would have had to go to their black aces. That’s why the key is to tone it down a bit.
Matthew Tkachuk Could’ve Been a Casualty
Even though his hit was relatively clean on Lightning forward Jake Guentzel in Game 3, his reputation and previous suspensions throughout his career could’ve had him miss time.
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He’s always played with an edge, but a careless play like that can become a bigger problem if he’s not in the lineup for a playoff game, especially since he had three goals in this series alone.
Take it Easy
The playoffs have always been a recipe for physical play, and the Panthers have shown they are not ones to shy away from it. But taking it down a tad can result in a full roster for their upcoming second-round series. It’s also clearly gotten to the mind of head coach Jon Cooper.
“It’s getting tiresome answering questions about a hit every single game.”
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper on the physicality of their series against the Florida Panthers
Ekblad is already going to miss Game 1 of the second round, and he was key in giving the Panthers their Game 4 win in the first round. If they can find a way to establish their dominance while avoiding too much physicality, they can continue to advance while maintaining an intact roster.
