“We know it’s going to be a war,” Anton Lundell of the Florida Panthers stated before the Panthers began their postseason debut. His sentiments weren’t unjustified, especially considering that the Miami team would be locking horns with fierce in-state arch-rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the playoffs for the second straight year. Now, four games into the seven-game series, both Paul Maurice and Jon Cooper‘s boys are living up to the bill.

The Panthers won the fourth game of Round 1 just hours ago, extending their lead to 3-1. However, while the defeat was understandably tough, it was instead Aaron Ekblad‘s hit on the Bolts’ Brandon Hagel that got Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper to lose his cool. But while Bolts’ boss was evidently livid, Maurice was more about showing diplomacy.

In a YouTube upload by FloridaHockeyNow from April 28, Coach Maurice talked about his thoughts on what went down between Ekblad and Hagel on the ice at the Amerant Bank Arena. “ I don’t want to use this platform to start making my case on this. Everybody’s got a job to do,” Paul said with a straight face when asked about his thoughts on Ekblad’s hit in the post-match presser. “I’ll stay in my lane,” he went on, noting that such things happen every year, and the coaches, players, and match officials will just have to carry on with their jobs.

But while Maurice didn’t try to muddy the waters, Jon Cooper’s was a whole different story. While he was visibly agitated when the refs allowed the match to continue despite Ekblad flattening out Hagel right in front of their eyes, in the post-match presser, Coach Cooper was almost exhausted from all the excitement. “It’s getting tiresome answering questions about a hit every single game,” he stated with a calm demeanor, and instead asked the reporters their thoughts on the matter.

What probably made Cooper so angsty about the whole affair was that Ekblad had only returned to the Panthers’ lineup. Back in March, Aaron tested positive for using performance-enhancing drugs, which resulted in the NHL suspending him for 20 matches. That meant the Florida blue line finished the regular season with a gaping hole in its blue line. He returned to the ice for Game 3 of Round 1, but was immediately subjected to heartbreak. The game ended in a 5-1 loss for the Miami squad.

For obvious reasons, Ekblad was in dismay. “Obviously, it’s a tough thing to do, coming in during the middle of a series after missing 20 games. I missed a lot of time. It wasn’t easy,” Aaron said after the loss. Nonetheless, Ekblad sounded hopeful: “You have to refocus, get ready for the next one. Onward and upward.” Thankfully, his optimism paid off.

Aaron’s hit took Hagel out of the game, who was seen skating through the tunnel shortly after the incident. He didn’t return to the game, and Ekblad even scored himself later in the match to help Florida win 4-2. However, it’s not like Jon Cooper’s foes are having a gala either.

Jon Cooper’s arch-rivals have a lot on their plate

The Panthers have had to deal with a lot of troubles themselves during the final stretch of the regular season. Along with Ekblad, star forward Matthew Tkachuk was also out of the team since February, when he picked up a lower-body injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off. With two of their key players out, the Cats limped to the finishing line behind the Bolts, making many pundits claim that they wouldn’t be able to find their groove and would fall to the arch-rivals in the first round of the playoffs.

However, Tkachuk returned for the playoffs, and with fans behind them, the Cats have been able to show exactly why they are the defending Stanley Cup champs. And yet, Maurice hasn’t been overly elated to see the 27-year-old’s performance on his comeback. Still, despite all the skepticism surrounding him, Tkachuk has been crucial in the Panthers’ postseason campaign.

In Game 2, Hagel hit the Cats’ captain, Aleksander Barkov, from behind, which resulted in a one-game suspension. With his history with Matthew, the latter wanted to even the score, even though Brandon was barred from doing anything about it. Tkachuk executed a late hit on Jake Guentzel, which earned him a five-minute major, but no suspension. Maybe that’s why the Panthers looked so positive today, even after falling behind the Bolts. But will this momentum also get carried over to Game 5? Does another heartbreak await Jon Cooper? Share your thoughts below!