Colby Guy
For Florida Panthers rookie Anton Lundell, the last month had been quite the battle.
He left Florida’s win over the Buffalo Sabres on March 7 with a lower-body injury, one which kept him out of the lineup for a couple of weeks.
By the time he was cleared from his injury, however, he was kept out of the lineup due to an illness.
When he finally returned, the one-time rookie of the year candidate missed 11 games spanning two separate long road trips in California and eastern Canada.
During those trips, the 20-year-old rookie found himself rehabbing alone back in South Florida.
He could not wait to get back — and the Panthers were waiting for his return.
“The team was on the road the whole time,” Lundell said, “so I just saw them for a couple of days and then they were on the road again.
“I was working hard with Max, our skills coach, and working with a lot of our trainers. It was a good break, but I wanted to get back as soon as possible.”
Rehabbing back in South Florida meant watching his teammates on TV instead of being there helping them out.
They did OK without him, going 9-2-1 while outscoring opponents 47-31.
While he was happy to see the team win, he wanted to help his team win those tough games.
“It’s always tough to watch your team because you want to be on the ice and help your team so badly,” Lundell said.
“It’s much more fun to be on the ice and play, but sometimes you forget how fun it is to play here. So, maybe that’s the biggest thing when I look back; it’s so fun to be around the team, play, and have the team win.”
When Lundell returned to the lineup, he had an almost immediate impact.
In his second game back, he picked up a pivotal rebound goal that helped swing things in Florida’s favor in the victory which clinched a playoff spot.
It also happened in Buffalo — the same place where he sustained his injury which started his absence in the first place.
“He’s a big part of the team, so you put him in the middle and it opens up so much for us,” linemate Sam Reinhart said.
Lundell found a home in Florida’s lineup centering Reinhart and Mason Marchment.
As Panthers coach Andrew Brunette has said multiple times throughout the season, it is a line that has carried the team at points during the season.
Once Lundell returned to the lineup, they went right back to work.
The trio combined for five even-strength points in five games since getting their centerman back.
“I’m playing on the same line I’ve been playing on, so I’m trying to help a lot and play the game the best I can,” Lundell said.
“I was away for three or four weeks, so it takes a couple of games to really get back into it, but I’m trying my best and I’m trying to improve my game from game to game and really try to enjoy it.”
But really, it did not take him that long to gain his confidence back.
He has two goals and three points in five games since his return.
That included a pivotal eventual game-winning goal scored from a wide angle with 4:44 to go in the second period of Florida’s 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
It was a big step for the rookie forward in gaining more confidence in his shot.
“I could shoot even more, that’s the one thing I could improve. But today, I got a good chance and trusted my shot and it went in,” he said after the win.
“Players on every team are good, so you’re not going to get much time and space on the ice, so you need to make quick decisions and [the goal] was good for my confidence for sure.”
His confidence in both his shot and his overall game has become more and more evident throughout his first season in the league.
Lundell ranks seventh among rookies with 16 goals despite missing 15 games.
“He is so mature that I feel like he’s been doing it with this age group for 20 years,” Reinhart said.
“I think it says a lot about him as a person that he is comfortable in these situations and we’re thrilled to have him.”
With 10 games left in the regular season, Lundell is now gearing up for his first-ever trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“It’s huge, it’s something you always dream about when you are a young player,” Lundell said.
“We all want to improve our game all the time and make sure we are ready when the big games start, but it is huge for me and I just try to enjoy every day.”
In his young career, he has played in big games both in Finland’s Liiga and internationally for Finland, but he has not had a test quite like this.
Most top rookies have to wait a while to get a shot at the Stanley Cup Playoffs, as did his linemate, Reinhart, who finally clinched his first playoff berth in his eighth year in the league.
But Lundell, the 12th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft, will get his first shot at the Stanley Cup in his first year in the NHL.
“I’m really lucky to be here,” Lundell said. “I’m just trying to be myself, help the team win, work hard every day, and learn and improve my game.”
FLORIDA PANTHERS ON DECK
ANAHEIM DUCKS AT FLORIDA PANTHERS
- When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
- Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise
- TV/Streaming: Bally Sports Florida
- Radio: WQAM 560-AM, SiriusXM
- Last season: Did not play
- All-time regular season series: Florida leads 19-14-2, 3 ties
- Season Series — Florida leads 1-0: Florida 3, @Anaheim 0 (March 19)