It appears that the Florida Panthers have avoided the worst when it comes to the health of Niko Mikkola.
The physical defenseman crashed into the boards when chasing down Hurricanes forward Logan Stankoven in the third period of Game 3. Mikkola lost his footing, and his shoulder then took the brunt of the contact in a scary-looking collision.
He did not return for the remainder of the game; however, the lopsided score may have played a factor in the decision to hold him out. Either way, fans were concerned about Mikkola’s status moving forward, especially with how well he’s played in these Eastern Conference Finals.
They can now breathe a sigh of relief as head coach Paul Maurice told the media on Sunday afternoon that Mikkola should be good to go for Game 4 on Monday. Eric Engels of Sportsnet shared the updated Maurice provided on X (formerly Twitter).
“Paul Maurice says he expects Niko Mikkola to play Game 4,” Engels wrote.
Niko Mikkola has one more year remaining on his three-year, $7,500,000 contract signed with the Florida Panthers as a UFA in 2023. He could become a UFA again following the 2025-26 campaign.
Niko Mikkola has been a scoring machine in Round 3
To the surprise of everyone, the Carolina Hurricanes have been unable to contain Niko Mikkola through three games of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The 29-year-old buried two goals in Saturday night’s 6-2 Game 3 win, improving his totals up to four points (two goals, two assists) in the series. It’s been quite the performance from Mikkola, who had just six goals in 76 games during the regular season.
BR Open Ice shared the video of his second goal of the game on X, which was a snipe that caught everyone off guard.
It’s what the Stanley Cup Playoffs are all about: unsung heroes stepping up in the biggest moments. He’s certainly played a huge part in the Panthers’ success over the last several postseasons.
Mikkola and the Panthers will look to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals for the third straight year with a win in Game 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night in Florida. The puck drops at 8 p.m. EST at Amerant Bank Arena.
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Edited by Jackson Weber
