Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will miss at least one game against the Lightning, depending on the next match result, after the NHL Department of Player Safety handed him a two-game suspension for elbowing Brandon Hagel in the head during Game 4. The hit occurred midway through the second period of Monday’s 4–2 Florida win over Tampa Bay.

Aaron Ekblad tied the game with 3:47 to go in the third period and 11 seconds later, Seth Jones sent a point shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy for the game-winner.