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Florida Panthers Leave for California, Ekblad Closes in on Return

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Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad has been out of the Florida lineup for the past XX games but could return during this upcoming four-game road trip. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida Panthers held a spirited practice Monday morning at the IcePlex before heading to the airport for a long flight west.



The Panthers will play four games in six days — they have two sets of back-to-backs — in their final western swing of the season.

Florida will play in Anaheim on Tuesday before playing the Kings in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The trip then continues in San Jose on Saturday and ends in Las Vegas on Sunday.

“I have done this for a while, and I have never seen a four-game road trip with double back-to-backs and two days in between,” Paul Maurice said.

The Panthers practiced without defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Gus Forsling on Monday; Maurice said Ekblad is closer to a return although he did not have a timeline for when he would return to the lineup aside from they hope it comes on this trip.

Forsling was just getting a day off.

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“He skated this morning, felt better, so we’re excited about that,” Maurice said of Ekblad, who is believed to be dealing with a wrist/hand injury sustained earlier this month against Pittsburgh.

“He comes in when he comes in. The idea is this road trip. We’ll see how he is tomorrow. He had a better day than we thought he would, so we’re not far off. We’re still not sure about tomorrow.”

FLORIDA PANTHERS NOTES

It may come as no surprise, but Mackie Samoskevich will not be rooting for Ohio State in tonight’s national championship game against Notre Dame.

Samoskevich spent two seasons playing for rival Michigan.

“Never. That’s the one team,’’ he said. “We hate red around there.”

Maurice is also cheering for Notre Dame where his son Luke graduated.

Maurice, who lived in Columbus for a time between coaching stints, attended his first college football game earlier this month in Miami Gardens.

He said being at the College Football Playoff semifinal between Notre Dame and Penn State at the Capital One Orange Bowl reminded him of the Stanley Cup postseason.

“It was awesome,” Maurice said. “From before it starts through the national anthem, there’s this juice in that building, right? You can’t recreate that. You can watch it on TV, but when you sit in it … I don’t know anything about football, whether it’s the refs or the quarterback but I’m into it.

“I had a great kind of deja vu at that game. My son was actually interning for the Orange Bowl committee, so we kind of got wrapped up in the whole thing. And it’s his alma mater. It was a great night.”

  • A number of Panthers had a bit of a different look on Monday. Florida has eight players in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament and some of them were trying out their new team-issued pants. For instance, Sasha Barkov, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Niko Mikkola wore their Finland pants; Sam Reinhart tried out his Team Canada togs.
  • A.J. Greer got into the spirit of the thing, writing ‘Canada’ on white trainers’ tape and placing that on the bottom of his pants.

ON DECK: GAME No. 48
FLORIDA PANTHERS @ ANAHEIM DUCKS

 

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