FORT LAUDERDALE – The Florida Panthers will be adding two more to the injury list.
Head coach Paul Maurice announced on Thursday after the team’s morning skate at Baptist Health IcePlex that defensemen Aaron Ekblad has a broken finger and Dmitry Kulikov suffered a broken nose in Tuesday’s game against the Ottawa Senators.
Both leaving during the third period, Ekblad went to the locker room after blocking a shot with his hand during a penalty kill and earlier in the period, Kulikov departed following being hit in the face with the puck.
Expected to be multiple weeks, Maurice said he’s “not sure if there’s enough time” for Ekblad to return to the lineup before the regular season comes to an end on April 15.
Logging the second-most minutes on the Panthers this season with 1,618:24, Ekblad had recorded 26 points (4G, 22A) in 72 games prior to being knocked out of the lineup.
Sustaining a “pretty significant” broken nose, Kulikov will miss Thursday’s game against the Boston Bruins, but may return this weekend against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Maurice said of Kulikov. “He wants to play.”
Already missing 57 games due to an upper-body injury sustained during the second game of the season, the 35-year-old veteran has averaged 17:56 time on ice, while blocking 13 shots and throwing 18 hits in 17 games this season.
As the story has been much of the season for the Panthers, it’s next man up.
On Wednesday, the Panthers recalled defensemen Tobias Bjornfot and Mikulas Hovorka from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Both will be in the lineup against the Bruins.
Playing 25 games with the Panthers over the past two seasons, including 11 games this year where he’s registered three points (2G, 1A), there’s plenty of familiarity with Bjornfot.
“The system’s part of the game, he knows exactly where he’s going because he’s studied it,” Maurice said. “He’s consistent with the game. A really strong idea of what he’s going to look like tonight and there’s very little aberration in his game. Just a great, great pro.”
Expected to play alongside Bjornfot, Hovorka, who’s been a consistent partner of Bjornfot’s in Charlotte, will get his second NHL game and first at Amerant Bank Arena.
“It’s definitely an opportunity to show my game,” said Horvoka. “Show the chance that I can play here and it’s definitely something I look forward to grab the chance and show how I can play and help the team.”
In his first NHL game on Feb. 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 6-foot-6 blueliner logged 11:27 time on ice.
Posting a solid second season with the Checkers, Hovorka has racked up 16 points (4G, 12A) and a +21 plus/minus rating in 53 games.
While the trend of losing guys to injury continues for the Panthers, they could be getting center Cole Schwindt back in the lineup on the upcoming road trip, Maurice announced.
Out since late February with a lower-body injury, Schwidnt has tallied four points (3G, 1A) in 22 games this season.
