“It was the one thing I heard about this team, you know, and how they treat each other… Like the type of gel within a team.” Nate Schmidt is getting to see firsthand what makes the Florida Panthers special. No wonder the injury setback of their captain, Aleksander Barkov, got everybody down a little. And although all eyes have been on the skipper’s recovery, the return of another big name has fortified the Panthers’ locker room. And they are regrouping again for the 3rd playoff game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. But who’s the guy that has got the Panthers buzzing?

The news is out. Aaron Ekblad is back from his 20-game suspension. And he is ready to rumble. “I would say that Aaron’s probably in the best shape of his life right now. We’ll put him right back with his partner (Gustav Forsling),” said Panthers head coach Paul Maurice. The defenseman is a double threat on the ice, averaging more than 2 minutes on both power play (2:41) and penalty kill (2:26) per game.

And with 3 goals and 30 assists in 56 games this season, no wonder his attacking teammates are also excited to have him back. “It’s huge for us. Obviously, he’s an elite defenseman,” shared forward Evan Rodrigues with NHL.com. Even fellow defenseman Niko Mikkola acknowledged how big Ekblad is for the team: “On the ice, he’s a great player.” But not just that. It’s what Aaron Ekblad brings to the group.

“He’s been a part of the group for a long time. In the locker room, he’s a loud guy and a big character. It’s great to have him back,” went Mikkola as the Panthers get ready for the Battle of Florida #3. Having personalities like Ekblad and Matthew Tkachuk together is such a privilege. With them, the job of the coach becomes easier. They are not only always on their game, but they also make sure everyone is focused. And when you are playing your cross-state rivals, you need that in plenty.

Hey. If Brad Marchand validates Matthew Tkachuk’s elite mentality, you know it’s serious. Historically, Tkachuk and Marchand have found it difficult to see eye-to-eye. But they are teammates this season, and up close and personal, Marchand gets to see what makes the alternate captain tick. “No, he’s great. Keeps the room really light, but he’s ultra competitive. You see the mindset he gets into when it becomes game time.”

Scoring 2 goals and an assist in the first playoff game against the Lightning, it was as if he wasn’t out injured for 2 months. Such players just uplift the locker room as a whole, and now with Ekblad’s return, the locker room is feeling much better after the Aleksander Barkov blow. That hit from Tampa Bay forward Brandon Hagel not only floored the Panthers captain. It drove a dagger through the Panthers’ locker room.

Evan Rodrigues expressed the sentiment perfectly: “You never want to see your captain go down.” Is this the way Tampa Bay thinks they can turn the tide? Trailing 2-0 in the series, the Bolts probably took the proverbial ‘If you can’t beat them, hit them viciously’ route. Speaking of Barkov, the Panthers defenseman said, “He’s an irreplicable player. One of the best centermen in the league. He’s super important to our team.”

And now, as the defending Stanley Cup Champions are awaiting some positive news on their captain, the locker room is already planning a fitting welcome to their rivals, Battle of Florida style.

Aleksander Barkov facing late call before Panthers welcome Tampa Bay

The news is that it can go both ways as of now. “He hasn’t been ruled out yet, and he hasn’t been cleared,” Paul Maurice said previously. And Barkov can feature in the #3, although he will face a late call from the medical team and the coaches. But one thing’s for sure. The Panthers aren’t letting this slide.

Cross-checking the captain with the puck nowhere in sight. That’s deliberate. And dirty. And deservedly, Brandon Hagel has been given a 1-game suspension. But the Panthers want more. The fans, the players, everyone. And what fortuitous circumstance is this that the defending Stanley Cup champs welcome their archrivals to the Amerant Bank Arena?

The Panthers fans are ready to make it a frosty encounter. Hell, they have been sending messages to their go-to disruptor to take care of this Barkov-Hagel business. ‘Off with his head.’ Well, Hagel won’t be there in #3. But the Panthers have found a better target. Much better. After Aleksander Barkov walked off the ice, not to return for the rest of the game, things got rolling with Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand, and Sam Bennett chirping at the Tampa Bay bench, probably with the message, ‘Let’s take it to Amerant Bank Arena.’

And Joe Haggerty gave his take on social media about the Panthers trio escalating it: “Florida Panthers are all telling (Nikita) Kucherov that he’s going to get it for Hagel’s hit on Barkov. Things are about to get nasty in the Battle of Florida.” Of course it will. No one takes a shot at their captain and walks away without a bruise.

With 121 points in the 2024-25 regular season, Nikita Kucherov is the main man for the Lightning. It’s a version of the ‘eye for an eye.’ Like you go through our captain without any remorse, and we will flatten your main guy.

The Amerant Bank Arena will be like a ticking time bomb on Saturday.