Three takeaways: Panthers receive another injury scare, embellishment calls bury comeback attempt

The Florida Panthers haven’t played many games on home ice lately.

Tuesday’s frustrating 4-3 loss to the Utah Mammoth was just the second game the Panthers have played in Sunrise over the past three weeks.

Florida never led against the Mammoth, battling back to tie the game on three separate occasions before ultimately falling thanks to a goal about midway through the third period and some questionable penalties that hindered the Cats’ ability to mount a comeback late in the game.

It was a night where the Panthers probably deserved a better fate, logging only 28 shots while managing 61 shot attempts and holding the Mammoth to just 20 shots on 38 attempts.

Let’s get to Tuesday’s takeaways:

LUNDELL AND EKBLAD OKAY

If there is one thing that has been consistent for the Panthers this season it has been the injuries.

That’s why the fear was even more heightened on Tuesday when a pair of Cats appeared to go down with injuries.

Late in the second period, Anton Lundell took a high, hard hit from Utah’s Jack McBain, one that Lundell responded to with a hit, and then a punch, of his own.

When the third period began about 20 minutes later, Lundell was nowhere to be found.

Then later in the game, Aaron Ekblad blocked a shot with his left leg and appeared unable to put much weight on it as he struggled to get to the bench.

After the game, Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards reported that he spoke to Ekblad and that the defenseman said he was okay, explaining that the shot had broken his shin pad.

As for Lundell, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice didn’t seem overly concerned when asked for a postgame update on his young Finnish center.

“I think he’s going to be fine,” said Maurice. “It’s upper-body, we’ll know more tomorrow.”

VILMANIS LIGHTS LAMP

Rookie Sandis Vilmanis has been looking like he belongs during his first stint in the NHL.

He’s now played nine National League games and has seen time on several line combinations.

On Tuesday, Vilmanis was moved to a line with Cole Schwindt and A.J. Greer during the second period, and there appeared to be some chemistry among the trio.

Vilmanis and Schwindt scored goals just over seven minutes apart, each one caused by gritty shifts and solid play in the offensive zone.

“There’s a freedom that (comes when he) plays with Schwindt and Greer,” Maurice said. “Greer is a real positive for those guys, those young guys he plays with, and they were good. Basically that line has got four goals in two games, so good for them and good for us.”

EMBELLISHMENT CALLS

The final six minutes and 12 seconds of Tuesday’s game saw five minor penalties called.

Moments after Matthew Tkahcuk was called for a questionable roughing penalty, right off the ensuing draw in Florida’s zone, Evan Rodrigues was taken down Barrett Hayton while trying to get across the zone and cover the PK.

For his extra effort, Rodrigues apparently make it look like he was trying to sell the penalty, not get away from Hayton, so both players went to the box; Hayton for interference, Rodrigues for embellishment.

Almost exactly four minutes later, this time with Florida’s net empty as the Panthers were attempting to tie the game in its final moments, Tkachuk was tripped in the neutral zone by Nick Schmaltz.

Once again, Tkachuk, like Rodrigues, was moving quickly during a high-intensity sequence and wanted to get to where he was going as soon as possible with the game potentially on the line.

Well, Tkachuk’s extra effort apparently masqueraded as him trying to sell another penalty, so once again it was both players who went to the box; Schmaltz for the trip, Tkachuk for embellishing it.

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Three takeaways: Panthers receive another injury scare, embellishment calls bury comeback attempt

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