“Might get a DoPS (Department of Player Safety) call,” former defenseman and Hockey Hall of Famer, Chris Pronger, posited about what fate might have planned for Aaron Ekblad after the latter’s thumping hit on Brandon Hagel at tonight’s Panthers vs Tampa Bay game. Divided by teams, united in taking potshots at referees. If there’s one thing hockey fans love to do, that’s slamming match officials for any slip-up. And now, as the Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game 4 commenced, Aaron Ekblad’s antics once again got one hockey pundit to target the match officials, and in a much harsher way than Pronger’s.

In today’s game at the Amerant Bank Arena, the Cats won the match 4-2 to extend their lead to 3-1 in the seven-game series. However, the Panthers’ defenseman Aaron Ekblad’s hit on the Bolts’ Brandon Hagel got the community wheezing. In the second period of the match, the Florida star took out Hagel with a mighty elbow to the head, but Ekblad didn’t receive any penalty for his thunderous blow.

Naturally, the community members could hardly stand the disparity in justice. ESPN’s P.K. Subban took to X on April 28 to indicate his amusement at how Aaron walked away from the whole incident unscathed. “Dude, look where the ref is. The fans are going to want to hang that guy upside down,” Subban joked on his social media, noting that Aaron’s hit was essentially “a headshot“. “That elbow snapped him right in the chin, so hard. Watch, his head hits the ice equally as hard,” you could almost feel Subban going ‘ouch’ himself, as he narrated Ekblad’s strong forearm into Hagel.

“Dude, I want Jon Cooper. I want to hear what his response is to that,” P.K. could be heard summoning Cooper. His curiosity was justified, especially as a livid Cooper could be seen breathing fire at how the referees let the play continue despite Aaron Ekblad lying down Hagel right in front of the officials’ eyes.

Subban also got to “hear” Coach Cooper’s reaction during the post-match presser. The coach noted that he is exhausted from physical altercations at every match. “It’s getting tiresome answering questions about a hit every single game,” Cooper told the reporters, and he pulled off an ‘Uno’ reverse on the reporters. “Do you have anything to say about it? If anybody in here has something, stand up and let me know,” his dissatisfaction about the whole drama was palpable in the air. But while Ekblad didn’t get called out for the incident, it would do him well to remember that a suspension isn’t the only thing at stake here, not given his previous misgivings. The rule book has more in store than a suspension, if any.

For those who remember, Ekblad only returned to the action recently. In March, Aaron was slapped with a 20-match suspension after having violated the NHL’s Performance Enhancing Substances Program. Today’s hit on Hagel, if it’s adjudged to be a penalty-worthy one, would mean that this is Ekblad’s second slip-up within 18 months, which, according to the official NHL website, can lead to up to $15,000 fines.

Thankfully, though, it seemed like the Bolts took advantage of the distraction, as they managed to score two back-to-back goals in 11 seconds right after Hagel went down. After taking the headshot from Aaron Ekblad, the Tampa Bay star was seen going down the tunnel, maybe still reeling from the attack, and ultimately didn’t return for the remainder of the game. However, despite the ESPN journo acknowledging that the hit was indeed worthy of being flagged, the game continued without pause. Subban was justifiably eager to dig for more underlying drama.

In Game 2 between the Cats and the Bolts, Hagel took out the Panthers’ captain, Aleksander Barkov, with a collision bang-on that had the Cats captain meet the ice and leave the rink with barely minutes left. However, Barkov didn’t have the puck with him. The incident immediately earned Hagel a five-minute major, which the NHL’s Department of Player Safety later bumped up to a one-game suspension. Brandon returned to Game 4 after missing the previous game, only to be welcomed back by Aaron Ekblad’s mean hit.

Whew, quite a lot to take in! With the playoff still far from over, the Panthers’ star needs to keep calm and control his emotions. After all, the Miami team has had to deal with a lot in recent months.

Aaron Ekblad is surrounded by like-minded colleagues

One of the biggest concerns for Florida head coach Paul Maurice ahead of the playoffs was the availability of Matthew Tkachuk. Even before the first game of Round 1, Coach Maurice couldn’t tell if Matthew would lace up. Thankfully, though, he did. And unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for fans to come for the Panthers. With many LTIR (long-term injury reserve) names recently prompting the NHL to undertake scrutiny into the teams, and even banning some players from playing in the first couple of games, fans couldn’t digest how the Miami team was allowed to have Matthew in its ranks. But despite the clamor, Tkachuk got back. And wasted no time to go berserk.

At the 4 Nations, Tkachuk and Hagel got into a serious fight when the USA and Canada met at the tournament for the first time. Maybe play-offs triggered their muscle memory? With Hagel serving his suspension, Matthew was keen to get one back for the hit on Barkov. He got what he wanted, but at the expense of Jake Guentzel. Chucky bulldozed Guentzel in a late hit and also got away with it. While fans fumed that he should have faced a fate like Hagel, the NHL insiders noted that Tkachuk’s case was entirely different from the Bolts’ star’s, which didn’t warrant a suspension. But maybe his over-enthusiastic play also warranted some slack.

The 27-year-old was kept on the sidelines since February, ever since he incurred a lower-body injury at the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off. Tkachuk missed the remainder of the regular season since the misfortune befell him, but was often spotted skating with the boys. And yet, his return to the lineup kept getting delayed.

However, considering that Aaron Ekblad’s absence left a gaping hole in the Panthers’ blue line for quite some time, the stars should be more wary of getting into trouble. After all, being the defending champs isn’t easy. But can Ekblad and the rest of the squad keep their burliness and behavior in line to continue their quest for the ultimate prize once again? With the Cats 3-1 up, how do you think the Bolts will prepare for Aaron & Co. for Game 5? Tell us!