Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart will not feature in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. Speaking to reporters, Florida head coach Paul Maurice confirmed on Monday, May 26, that Reinhart will miss his second consecutive game due to a lower-body injury. Reinhart, who was assessed as day-to-day, was injured by a low hip check from Carolina’s Sebastian Aho early in Game 2 and has not played since.
Wayne Gretzky Sounds Warning Note Over Gap Left by Sam Reinhart
NHL legend Wayne Gretzky had cautioned that Reinhart’s absence could pose a significant challenge for the Panthers, who are looking to sweep the Canes with a win in Game 4 on Monday. Speaking on “NHL on TNT,” Gretzky highlighted Reinhart’s all-around impact for the Panthers.
“I know everybody’s saying the right things, next man up, and we’ll put this guy in and we’re comfortable with him. But Reinhart is one of the best players in the National Hockey League,” Gretzky said. “He’s a two-way player. He takes face-offs and kills penalties. He’s tremendous on the power play. It’s going to be hard to replace a guy like that. They’re going to need everybody jumping in. One guy just doesn’t replace Reinhart, though.”
Florida looks like the defending champs so far but @WayneGretzky thinks Sam Reinhart's absence is looming large on the Cats 👀
That + Wayne's keys for Carolina to get back into the series ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/bCNU9pQLvP
— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT)
Reinhart was the top goal scorer for Florida in the regular season, with 39 goals and 81 points. He also has 11 points from the 14 playoff games he’s played.
Despite his absence, the Panthers cruised to a 6-2 victory at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, during Game 3 on Saturday, May 24. Jesper Boqvist stepped into the lineup and delivered a standout performance, scoring once and adding two assists on the night. Niko Mikkola and captain Aleksander Barkov scored two goals each and veteran winger Brad Marchand sealed the win with a goal as well.
Reinhart, Mikkola and Greer are all out for Game 4.
If the series continues, Maurice says he expects they'd be good to return later in the series.
All considered day to day.
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop)
“Obviously a huge win for us,” Boqvist said via NHL.com after the game. “Glad I could help out a little bit.”
Florida erupted with five goals in the third period and is now just one win away from a third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. However, the Panthers will also be without defenseman Niko Mikkola and forward A.J. Greer in Monday’s game. Both players were injured in Game 3.
Florida has scored five or more goals in their last four playoff games, becoming the third team in the past 30 years to achieve this feat. A win for them on Monday will see the Canes getting swept for the fourth consecutive time in the Eastern Conference Finals. Carolina, who finished the season in second place in the Metropolitan Division, are 0-15 in their last four ECF series.
