Aaron Ekblad registered 1-1-2 in each of his three outings to lead NHL defensemen in goals (3), points (6) and plus/minus (tied; +6), helping the Panthers (35-10-5, 75 points) open a five-point cushion atop the Atlantic Division on the strength of a perfect week. Ekblad (1-1-2) first lifted Florida to a 3-2 comeback win against the Carolina Hurricanes Feb. 16, scoring his seventh career overtime goal (and second of the season) to tie teammate Aleksander Barkov for
second place in franchise history
. He followed that with 1-1-2 in each of his next two games, a 6-2 triumph over the Minnesota Wild Feb. 18 and a 5-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks Feb. 20. The 26-year-old Windsor, Ont., native and No. 1 overall pick from the 2014 NHL Draft has skated in 49 total contests this season, ranking fifth among NHL blueliners with a career-high 47 points (13-34-47) while sitting fourth among all skaters (forwards or defensemen) with a +35 rating.
Aaron Ekblad Named NHL's 'Second Star' of the Week Ending Feb. 20
