The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning lived up to the Battle of Florida title given to their Stanley Cup Playoffs series in the NHL. Game 4 in Amerant Bank Arena had no shortage of sweat, blood, and animosity, setting the table for a crucial meeting on Wednesday in Tampa. Jon Cooper made sure to fuel the fire with a strong statement, aimed at Aaron Ekblad who was involved in a controversial collision with Brandon Hagel.
The Panthers have now taken a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Lightning, putting Cooper and the Bolts with their heads between a rock and a hard place as they return home with no margin of error.
To add insult to injury, the Lightning are now facing injury troubles, as Brandon Hagel was forced to miss most of Game 4 while being evaluated for a concussion after taking a brutal hit to the chin from Ekblad.
Following the gut-wrenching defeat, Cooper voiced a major update on Hagel’s status for Game 5, in which the Lightning must win or they’ll wave their NHL season goodbye. Cooper didn’t let Ekblad off the hook as he subtly aimed at the Cats’ blueliner.
Head coach Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning answers questions at a press conference after 5-3 loss against the Florida Panthers in Game Three of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on April 25, 2024 in Tampa, Florida.
“[Hagel] is not playing tomorrow so there it is and you know why,” Cooper said on Tuesday, via Lightning reporter Gabby Shirley. Cooper’s comment clearly pointed at Ekblad’s elbowing penalty which went unadverted by the officials.
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Coming off a career-best NHL season, Hagel has been on an emotional rollercoaster in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He missed Game 3 due to a suspension, was forced to sit out most of Game 4, and is now ruled out for Game 5, with uncertainty looming over his availability for a potential Game 6 or 7.
Sick and tired
Cooper was seen heated up behind the bench throughout the game at Amerant Bank Arena, especially after the hit on Hagel went unpenalized by the refferees. It’s raining ‘Cats and Bolts’ in the Battle of Florida, which has been chaotic with no shortage of fireworks and controversies, although Cooper has grown sick and tired of addressing them.
“It’s getting tiresome answering questions about a hit every single game,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after the game, per ESPN. “All right, let’s move on.”
Brandon Hagel #38 of the Tampa Bay Lightning greets teammates before playing against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on January 23, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Ekblad to have hearing with Department of Player Safety
Although Ekblad wasn’t called for a penalty for the hit on Hagel, the NHL Department of Player Safety has scheduled a hearing with the Panthers’ star, who is expected to miss some games wirh a suspension.
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However, it might be too little too late for Cooper and Tampa, as Ekblad didn’t receive a penalty in the game and he went on to score the game-tying goal. The Lightning were left empty-handed, and their season is now on the line as they make the trip back to The Big Guava.
