George Richards, FHN Publisher
Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice in the first period but it was a serious-looking injury to star defenseman Aaron Ekblad which cast a pall on the Panthers 4-1 win in Dallas Sunday night.
Ekblad, the top pick of the 2014 draft, was having his best NHL season before he had to be carted off the ice by Dallas EMTs after an awkward collision in the second period as his skate appeared to be wedged between the ice and the boards.
On Saturday, Ekblad scored twice in OT — only one counted, obviously — to end Florida’s three-game losing streak.
Sunday, it is possible his season may be over.
Coach Joel Quenneville said he expects Ekblad to be out an “extensive” amount of time.
”Tough blow for us,” Anthony Duclair said.
Before the injury, Huberdeau ended his five-game scoring slump in a big way, scoring twice in the first period to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead they would not give up.
Florida’s two-game sweep of the host Stars was most welcomed after the team opened this five-game road trip with its first three-game losing streak of the season.
But again, there were few smiles around the Panthers on Sunday.
The Panthers are back in Sunrise on Tuesday to face a Detroit team coming off a sweep of its own as the Wings took out Columbus in consecutive days.
Florida remains shorthanded, playing without Sasha Barkov for the fourth consecutive game and Patric Hornqvist for a second.
Those two are expected back in the coming days. Ekblad could be out for some time. The fear is a broken leg as well as damage to the knee.
Quenneville said Ekblad would be evaluated by doctors in South Florida on Monday and they hoped to have a clearer indication of the severity of the injury.
Florida was coming off the emotional high of a 4-3 win the night before one in which Carter Verhaeghe got a hat trick and Ekblad got the OT winner with 10 seconds left.
“Momentum is obviously important,” Ekblad said before the game.
The Panthers did not have it in the opening moments Sunday night as they trailed 1-0 on a power play goal at 4:32 (with Ekblad in the penalty box) but they got it right back.
Huberdeau gave the Panthers much life as he picked off the puck on the side wall in the offensive zone, drove in and sniped one bar-down to tie it 32 seconds later.
Florida kept its legs moving and creating chances and less than 90 seconds after Huberdeau scored, Duclair was slashed on his way to the net.
Duclair was awarded a penalty shot and he buried the chance, giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead at 6:29 of the opening period.
At 13:37 of the period, Florida led 3-1 as Huberdeau sent one through Jake Oettinger’s skates on the second power play chance of the night.
Florida’s final tally came on Owen Tippett’s empty net goal off a feed from Huberdeau with 1:05 remaining.
Chris Driedger made 33 saves for his ninth win this season.
”That was a very important win for us,” Quenneville said. “You lose a guy like Ek, and you know the severity of it, it is not an easy game to go through. We stayed with it and battled. Lose a guy who is having that kind of season … you lose his leadership. It is tough, will be a good test for us.”
For Huberdeau, who has been a close friend of Ekblad since he joined the team in 2014, Sunday was a tough blow.
”We have been together a long time,” Huberdeau said. “It is obviously tough to see a teammate, a good friend go down like that.”
SCHEDULE UPDATE
The NHL finally got around to extending its regular season by a few days and, as expected, bumped back the Panthers and Lightning final series by a couple of days.
Florida was supposed to play host to the Lightning on May 6-8, but the first game was postponed. It will now be on Monday, May 10.
So, the season-ending series between the Panthers and Lightning will now be May 8-11 in Sunrise.
HEPO RETURNS
The Panthers made one roster move on Sunday, calling forward Aleksi Heponiemi back and placing him on the taxi squad.
Heponiemi has only played in three games for the Panthers this season but his debut was memorable as he got the game-winner in Detroit on Jan. 30.
In three games at AHL Syracuse, Heponiemi had four assists.
Florida may have to bring up another player for the taxi squad with the likelihood Anton Stralman goes back into the lineup. Grigori Denisenko, Brady Keeper or Chase Priskie would make sense.
Defenseman Noah Juulsen is on a conditioning assignment and should be back as well.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Dallas defenseman John Klingberg flipped the puck into the stands 55 seconds in and gave Florida a power play chance early.
The Panthers got three shots off but could not beat Oettinger — at least right here.
The Stars took the early lead as Roope Hintz’s shot from the right side deflected off Radko Gudas and Jason Robertson as Ekblad seethed in the penalty box following a roughing call.
But then Huberdeau broke loose, grabbing the puck off the side wall and went straight to the net without passing it up to tie it at 1.
After Duclair scored to make it 2-1 on the penalty shot, Huberdeau got back on the scorecard but threading a shot from Keith Yandle (playing in consecutive game No. 901) to give Florida a two-goal lead at 13:37.
Florida outshot Dallas 14-7 in the opening period and had a 23-13 shot attempt advantage as well.
The Panthers looked like the much better team in the first despite the 1-0 Dallas lead early on.
GEORGE’S THREE STARS OF THE GAME
ON DECK: RED WINGS AT PANTHERS
When: Tuesday, 7
Where: BB&T Center, Sunrise
Tickets: AVAILABLE HERE
Season series: Florida leads 4-2.
TV/Radio: FSF/560-AM