Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports the Florida Panthers have some added depth to their lineup as they begin the Eastern Conference Final. Ryan Lomberg has not played since Game 4 of the Panthers opening-round series.
The 28-year-old winger missed the final three games of that series against the Boston Bruins, and the entire second round against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lomberg was ruled out with an upper-body injury and listed as week-to-week at the time. He had received a nasty cross-check to the head area in the last game he played, but no official injury status was given.
Lomberg is not likely to carry the offense for the Panthers in this series, but he brings a nasty, physical edge that is a requirement for successful playoff teams. The Panthers are a scrappy team that is difficult to play against with the likes of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett andRadko Gudas on the team, and Lomberg adds to that while bringing some speed to the bottom of the lineup.
While not a huge scorer, Lomberg did have 12 goals and 20 points in 82 regular season games, proving he is capable of finding the back of the net. He was taking line rushes on a trio with Eric Staal andColin White which would give the Panthers a reliable fourth line that just might add a couple of big goals in a series.
The Panthers are in the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1996 and will take on the Carolina Hurricanes after knocking out heavily-favoured division foes in the Bruins and Maple Leafs.
Lomberg returns and secretly wishes for Walt Jr. #1 to score the GWG in OT4!
Well.
They seem like a team of destiny at this point.
What a game.
Ended a half hour before the puck dropped in the Dunedin – Skycity New Zealand IHL game.