ECF notebook: Forced and optional changes define game 3

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -AM Saturday the Florida Panthers will try to extend their 2-0 lead over Carolina Hurricanes without extending the player, who scored 96 goals for them in the last two seasons.

Sam Reinhart left game 2 shortly after he had brought Sebastian Aho’s hip to his leg at 2:49 p.m. at 2:49 p.m. The 29-year-old played another 12-second layer after the Open Ice goal, but did not return afterwards and was now listed by Panthers coach Paul Maurice as daily.

“It is a player who plays in all parts of your game,” said Maurice. “The critical part of our power game (Aleksander) Barkov and Reinhart are elite at penalty, draws the heavy fire and is against the best sentence D for the other team. So it is an important player from our line -up.”

The Panthers lost some pieces in the last playoff runs, but Reinhart took part in every game in 2023 and 2024 and only missed seven in the last four regular seasons.

A year ago before helping the Panthers to win the trophy, he scored 57 goals and took fourth place in the vote for the Selke Trophy, which is awarded to the best defensive striker in the league.

Reinhart had 39 goals this season and was appointed the finalist for The Selke.

He also had four goals and 11 points in the playoffs before Aho hit him and looked for the Panthers for a replacement.

“You cannot let a man go down and still have no chance, or you don’t have the depth that you think,” said Maurice.

“That means there is a top scorer with 57 goals from our line -up, so nobody has this kind of depth,” he added, confirming that Jesper Boqvist will play space with Barkov and Evan Rodrigues.

Boqvist had 11 goals and 23 points this season and he has a goal in these playoffs and an assist in nine.

Maurice also confirmed that Boqvist will play on Panthers’ penalty.

Sean Walker and Seth Jarvis, who left game 2 after big hits by Niko Mikkola and AJ Greer, both took part in the morning skate on Saturday and are expected to play 3.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who was scratched out of game 2, practiced with Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall.

If he stays there for game 3, Jack Roslovic could be the strange man from Carolina’s line -up.

Jalen Chatfield, who has not played since game 4 of the second round, does not skate on Saturday morning and is a decision by Gametime.

But Hurricanes trainer Rod Brind’amour has already made a decisive decision: Pyotr Kochetkov replaces Frederik Andersen.

Andersen came to this series with a playoff leading.

Kochetkov replaced him for the third period of game 2, and the Hurricanes turn to him for game 3.

“Just change the mood a little,” said Brind’amour. “I do not accuse Freddy of any of the goals that have come in the goals. Obviously, the percentage of saving is not great if you are looking at it. We need a few parades, but I can not give it to any of you. All goals were great recordings or games from you, but simply change the mood a little.

“We have a child that we had all year round that played great for us all year round.”

In 47 games of the regular season, the 25-year-old Kochetkov went 27-16-3 and achieved a percentage of 0.898.

He also published in three games in this post-season, which won a total of six goals, but won his only start 5: 4, with two to 4 double crossings in game 5 of round 1 to eliminate the New Jersey Devils.

Nine goals in 14 games make Sam Bennett the top goal scorer of the Stanley Cup playoffs, which they would not have expected at the beginning of this decade.

At that time, the Calgary Flames were in the process of giving up the massive potential they had when they decided in 2014 at the fourth overall.

It turned out that they were right 11 years ago, and much less than they and a choice in the sixth round for two seconds and Emil Heineman exchanged to Florida in April 2021.

Very too Maurice’s joy.

“It was an incredible collection because it was available there for a while. He was a health scratch about (five) years ago. I think he was a healthy scratch in March 2001,” said Panthers’ coach on Friday. “And I asked him what the difference was and he said he had come back to the center of ice, which is an important position. He played the game again as he came to the league, and then he had to play with Jonathan Huberdeau. So, the self -confidence, right?

Especially with six feet, two snipers Carter Verhaeghe on one side of him and brother Matthew Tkachuk on the other.

“I think he and Matthew (Tkachuk) really have good chemistry,” said Maurice. “Matthew’s hands and his IQ and where he lets pucks and all these things run a little – and I don’t mean around. It lets him reach his speed. And that is, I think that may have been missing before he came here.

Or in view of his opponents.

Bennett got in there and forced sales at Florida’s first goal from game 2. Then he achieved two own and added a template in this 5-0 win.

The 28-year-old had seven goals and 14 points to win the Panthers the trophy last year, and he already has 13 points in the 14 playoff games they played this year.

He is a nightmare for his opponents.

“He is very dynamic,” said team -mate Gustav Forsling. “He can switch off her lights and score goals, so I wouldn’t want to play him in the playoffs. I’m glad I am in his team.”

Bennett is thrilled to be a panther and play in a system in which it was built to thrive.

“I think I definitely had to fight in Calgary for a while,” said Bennett before game 3. “When I arrived here, the opportunity that the team gave me from the beginning was completely different from what I had in Calgary in Calgary. Go out and play very happy to have some great teammates and linemates and great coaches who believed in me, and it is simply a perfect combination, and it is just a perfect combination, and it is simply a perfect combination, and Success. “

When he was withdrawn from a game in which his team gave up the lowest shot (17) under his clock under his clock in the past seven years, said Brind’amour, said Brind’amour, said Brind’amour, said Brind’amour: “The harder are the first game in which they may be good enough, but the score was not tight. This is a little harder. But if they are as bad as we (Thursday), they have to have that. We have not given ourselves a chance to win this game.

When Panthers striker Evan Rodrigues, Panthers said Evan Rodrigues, said Panthers, Evan Rodrigues, said that he is not pleased with 2-0 and has learned a 3-0 lead against the Edmonton Oilers.: “I cannot let go of the gas in the final last year. Many, I would not say pressure, but there was a will to do the job. Stanley Cup on the line and nerves and all the emotions that come with the coming with something. Experiences and experience and try not to allow it again.”