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The Florida Panthers’ Game 4 victory has been overshadowed by a controversial hit from defenseman Aaron Ekblad on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel. The incident has sparked widespread reaction across the NHL community. Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper said he was tired of talking about a hit every game, but others have been much more vocal.
In a tense and increasingly hostile playoff series, emotions boiled over when Ekblad delivered a high forearm shiver to Hagel, sending him down the tunnel. Despite the dangerous and seemingly intentional nature of the hit, no penalty was assessed on the play — a decision that left many, including Cooper, stunned.
The retaliation appeared to stem from Hagel’s late hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 3, for which Hagel was suspended one game. However, Ekblad’s response has sparked a fierce debate about player safety and officiating in this year’s postseason.
Former NHL defenseman Chris Pronger weighed in on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “Have seen this forearm shiver a number of times but usually not from this position. I would need more angles but this looks like a forearm to the chin. And completely in Ekblad’s control to avoid the head. The fact there was NO penalty is a tough look. Might get a DoPS call.”
Analyst Justin Bourne of Sportsnet also criticized the hit, saying, “I think it’s a bad hit,” and speculated Ekblad could face a two-game suspension.
Are the playoffs getting out of control?
The "2 Mutts Hockey Podcast" revealed they spoke with seven active playoff players who expressed frustration with officiating.
“The refs are becoming a huge part of who wins on a nightly basis because of the calls they miss & the bad calls they are calling,” they wrote. “Players don’t know what game they are going to be playing in.”
Ryan Whitney, never one to hold back, wrote, “I can not believe Florida won that game. Ekblad could have been kicked out … What the hell did we just watch?”
This is not the only series that has gotten nasty. Fighting on the bench between the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals might be the most viral moment of the first round thus far.
Despite the controversy, Ekblad stayed in the game and played a pivotal role in the Panthers’ comeback. Florida scored twice in 11 seconds — mirroring Tampa Bay’s earlier rally.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has yet to announce whether discipline will be handed down, but all eyes will be on how the league responds.
More must-reads:
- Stanley Cup playoffs takeaways: Controversial hit could lead to Aaron Ekblad suspension
- Watch: Panthers stun Lightning with two goals in 11 seconds to take 3-1 series lead
- The 'No. 1 overall draft picks in NHL history' quiz
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Projecting the Blue Jackets’ 2025-26 Power Play Units
The Columbus Blue Jackets finished the 2024–25 NHL season with a power play success rate of 19.5%, placing them 22nd overall in the NHL. The power play struggled in the final two months of the season during their playoff push, failing to generate momentum when it mattered most. Over the six-game losing streak in March, the power play scored zero goals, a big part of why the team couldn’t catch back up in the playoff race, despite a six-game winning streak to end the season. Columbus closed with a final record of 40–33–9, collecting 89 points and finishing fourth in the Metropolitan Division, the closest they’ve been to making the playoffs since the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. They fell just two points behind the New Jersey Devils for the final Metropolitan Divisional spot and two points shy of the Montreal Canadiens for the second Eastern Conference wild card, converting 12.5% of their power-play chances in their final 16 games. Now let’s take a look at how the Blue Jackets ran their power play, the units they ran with, and what to expect in 2025–26. Power-Play Units to End Last Season Below was the top power-play unit the coaching staff ran with to close out last season. Boone Jenner – Sean Monahan – Kirill Marchenko Zach Werenski – Kent Johnson Monahan is the clutch faceoff man who can win a high percentage of draws, and Jenner can also slot in on the dot when needed. At the point, Werenski is great at walking the blue line, firing heavy wrist shots through traffic, allowing his own teammates to open up shooting lanes. When looking at this unit’s best stretches last season, they excelled at getting pucks on net and creating second and third-chance opportunities. They screened goalies well and drew a solid amount of power plays all season. The power play was rolling in November and December, scoring nearly every game over those two months. While it was rolling, players would attack the zone and dump well back to the blue line, making it hard for penalty killers to stay in position and even get set up at times. Columbus typically set up with three players across the middle and two at the points; once the puck was in motion, one forward crashed the net front (Jenner), while three others cycled in a row in the middle, with another at the blue line, essentially a 1-3-1 style. Down the stretch, Columbus couldn’t get clean zone entries or hang onto the puck in the offensive end. The healthy mix of one-man and four-man drop looks that sparked their power play earlier in the season dried up, and they fell into predictable patterns that penalty killers took advantage of. Their shots rarely got through traffic, as opponents blocked attempts and found easy clears. With the attack stalled on the perimeter, the Blue Jackets couldn’t crash the net, leaving them frustrated. Here was the second power-play unit the coaching staff put on the ice in the back half of last season. Yegor Chinakhov – Adam Fantilli – Dmitri Voronkov Ivan Provorov – Denton Mateychuk They didn’t see much ice time, like most second units, but faced the same struggles for the most part. Projecting the 2025-26 Power-Play Units I don’t see any changes coming to the first power-play unit; the switch happens in the second unit for me. Projected First Unit: Jenner – Monahan – Marchenko Werenski – Johnson Projected Second Unit: Cole Sillinger – Fantilli – Voronkov Mateychuk – Dante Fabbro With Chinakhov’s future in Columbus uncertain, I’d slot in Sillinger, but if Chinakhov remains, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him rotate in and out of the second unit. I’d swap in Fabbro and rotate out Provorov, banking on Mateychuk’s offensive upside. Mateychuk had a few big goals last season and plays a defensively sound game, whereas Provorov’s push up the ice sometimes made him a liability to odd-man rushes. That offensive upside pushed Mateychuk into PP2 for me. The second power-play unit doesn’t see as much ice time, obviously, but I expect those three defensemen to rotate in and out throughout the season. Consistency and climbing into the NHL’s top 15 to 20 power plays will be very important going forward. Special teams as a whole will always be important, especially in close games late with a small margin for error, so improvements are needed if this team is to finally get back into the playoffs. Stay tuned for my preview of the penalty kill next here at The Hockey Writers.
Matt LaFleur sheds light on concerning Tucker Kraft situation
The Green Bay Packers continued work on the field on Saturday, with tens of thousands of fans in attendance watching amid the annual Family Night. However, one notable player who was not able to make it to the field and practice was tight end Tucker Kraft. The former South Dakota State Jackrabbits star is nursing a lower-body injury, forcing the Packers to take it easy on the tight end and keep him on the shelf rather than risk aggravation of the issue. Speaking to the media, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur opened up about Kraft’s status, via Green Bay reporter Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “MLF said Tucker Kraft has been dealing with a groin injury and powering through it for the last two days but they decided to give him a couple days off.” Kraft is expected to be among the major targets in the Packers’ passing attack in his third year in the pros. Selected in the third round (78th overall) by the Packers in the 2023 NFL draft, the 24-year-old Kraft is looking to surpass his production in 2024, when he posted 707 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 50 receptions.
‘Wants to end up in Boston’… Celtics still favorites to sign breakout star who will snub ‘last resort’
With training camps approaching in one month, the Boston Celtics could add an interesting player to their roster. This addition would provide depth to their center rotation, which remains a significant hole they need to address. Currently, the Boston Celtics’ center rotation includes Xavier Tillman, Luka Garza, and Neemias Queta. All three players either lack experience or consistent production, and none match the quality of their previous rotation featuring Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. The potential addition doesn’t reach the caliber of Porzingis or Horford, and isn’t even close to Kornet’s level. However, there’s development potential given that he’s only 24 years old. Charles Bassey, the former San Antonio Spurs player who competed with the Celtics during last summer’s league, has emerged as the candidate in question. Bassey chooses NBA over European opportunity NBA insider Noa Dazzell reported that Bassey prefers playing for the Celtics next season rather than accepting an overseas offer with Partizan Belgrade in the Serbian League. “He’s not currently planning on going overseas, that seems to be pretty unlikely, and almost like a last resort type of thing. And right now, I think, you know, he feels pretty confident that he’s going to play in the NBA next season,” Dazzell explained. “He currently still views the Celtics as a top destination, and really, really wants to end up in Boston. And that’s not me saying that that’s going to happen, but that’s a top priority for him. He loves the culture. He loves the fact that they’ve been in the playoffs routinely. It’s a culture of winning, the coaches,” she added. Boston has roster spot available for potential signing The Celtics maintain one open roster spot that could accommodate Bassey’s addition. His summer league performance with Boston demonstrated his potential value to the organization. “He really wants to come to the Celtics. We’ll see whether it works out right now. Boston has one remaining roster spot that’s open,” Dazzell noted. Bassey’s summer league production included impressive numbers of 15.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. These statistics explain why other teams like Partizan Belgrade have shown interest in acquiring his services, as well as the fact that he is athletic rim‑runner with elite length and shot‑blocking instincts. His strong summer showing could translate to meaningful NBA contributions if he maintains his health and development trajectory. Injury history creates concern about reliability Bassey has struggled with health issues throughout his NBA career, frequently dealing with injuries that have limited his availability. His most significant setback came with an ACL injury in 2023 that restricted him to only 19 games that season. Last season with the Spurs, he appeared in 36 games while averaging modest numbers of 4.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game. The limited production reflects both his role and ongoing health challenges. His injury history raises questions about long-term reliability, but his youth and potential upside could make him worth the risk for a team who needs depth in the center area like Boston.
Tottenham Hotspur star announces unexpected departure
In a summer already marked by high drama in the soccer world, Tottenham Hotspur captain Heung-min Son has delivered a stunning announcement: he will leave the club this summer after more than a decade of service. The 33-year-old forward confirmed his decision during an emotional press conference ahead of Tottenham’s preseason friendly against Newcastle United in Seoul. This match may now serve as his farewell appearance for the club. Spurs head coach Thomas Frank has confirmed that Son will start and captain the side in Sunday’s game. "I have decided to leave the club this summer. Respectfully the club is helping me with this decision," said Son. "It was the most difficult decision I have made in my career. Such amazing memories. It was so hard to make the decision. "I need a new environment to push myself. I need a little bit of change — 10 years is a long time. I came to north London as a kid, 23 years old, such a young age. I leave this club as a grown man, a very proud man. "I want to say thank you to all the Spurs fans for giving me so much love. I hope the goodbye is also good timing and this is the right time to make that decision. I hope everyone can accept that and respect that." Son joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2013 and has since made 454 appearances, scoring 173 goals, sitting fourth on the club’s all-time scoring list. His final competitive outing is likely to remain the Europa League final victory over Manchester United in Bilbao, offering a storybook ending to a glittering career in north London. The South Korean revealed he made the decision some time ago, informing only a few teammates before speaking with Frank ahead of preseason. Son is reportedly exploring a move to Major League Soccer (MLS), with Los Angeles FC emerging as a leading contender. Interest from Saudi Arabian clubs also persists. He now becomes the latest high-profile departure at Spurs following Harry Kane’s 2023 transfer to Bayern Munich, as the club enters a new era under Frank, who joined from Brentford earlier this summer.
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