Florida Panthers Go West with Questions on Blue Line

FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida Panthers held their final practice Sunday morning before boarding a flight and heading to Denver for a two-game trip in the Rockies.

The Panthers were without Aaron Ekblad, but did have six defensemen on the ice with Niko Mikkola going through the whole practice.

Ekblad and Mikkola are both, as Paul Maurice said, “morning skate decisions” for Monday’s game in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche.

Just to be safe, the Panthers called up Toby Bjornfot from Charlotte.

Mikkola has missed the past four games with a lower-body injury. Maurice did not want to disclose what has been ailing Ekblad.

Is it a lower or upper-body injury?

“General body,” Maurice said. “Let’s start a new one: General body, malaise.”

So, Ekblad could be ill.

Maurice said whatever is ailing Ekblad popped up during Friday’s 3-2 shootout win over the Penguins.

Ekblad did not play very much after taking a hooking call with 10:12 left in the third period.

After getting out of the box, Ekblad only played two shifts: One when he came out of the box, and another for 51 seconds.

When the Penguins went on the power play with 2:01 left, Ekblad was not on the ice.

That was odd, considering he is one of Florida’s top penalty killers.

“We had some guys who were fighting some things to play in the game tonight,’’ Maurice said before being asked about Ekblad specifically.

Regarding Ekblad, he said “is one of those guys who is dealing with something, and we think he’ll be a player for us in Colorado. When the game got to that kind of kill and then to overtime, it just didn’t make sense.’’

With Ekblad out, Dmitry Kulikov and Gus Forsling made up Florida’s top pairing in practice Sunday. Mikkola played with Uvis Balinskis.

ON DECK: GAME No. 41

FLORIDA PANTHERS AT COLORADO AVALANCHE 

• When: Monday, 9 p.m.
• Where: Ball Arena, Denver
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (Naples/FTM)
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Last Season: Panthers Won 2-0
• This Season (Avs Lead 1-0) — At Colorado: Monday. At Florida: Avs 7, Panthers 4 (Nov. 23).
• All-time Regular Season Series: Colorado leads 28-14-5, 3 ties
• Postseason Series: Colorado d. Florida 4-0, 1996 Stanley Cup Final
• Up Next for the Panthers: Wednesday at Utah, 10 p.m.