NHL Player Safety ruling comes down on Anton Lundell after Montreal incident

The NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Friday that Lundell was fined $5,000, the maximum allowed under the CBA. The fine was for high-sticking Montreal forward Alexandre Texier.

It lands on the heels of a frustrating Thursday at Bell Centre, where the Panthers fell 6-2. Alexandre Texier scored his first NHL hat trick, and Sam Montembeault stopped 25 shots.

Florida did get two goals from Sam Bennett, but Sergei Bobrovsky faced 20 shots and allowed five before the empty-netter. The loss dropped the Panthers to 22-18-3, and it was their second straight defeat to open this road trip.

Brad Marchand did not play after leaving Tuesday's game in Toronto, and he is day to day with an undisclosed injury. When you are already juggling lineup holes, even a minor fine feels like another weight.

As a Panthers fan, it's hard not to feel like this trip is testing their patience nightly.

Lundell's value is usually in the clean, quiet stuff, layered defense, smart routes, and a stick that takes pucks away instead of giving power plays. A high stick is a reminder that details can slip when legs get heavy.

Paul Maurice said Florida was «looking for other plays instead of the one that was right there,» and that line fits this moment. Bad luck exists, but execution still decides whether a game stays tight.

Lundell is 24, was the 12th overall pick in 2020, and he's locked in at a $5 million cap hit through 2029-30. Florida needs him steady, especially when the lineup is missing proven scoring.

Texier has been a spark for Montreal lately, and Thursday was his second straight three-point game. He signed a one-year deal with the Canadiens in late November, and he's clearly feeling it right now.

The Panthers have to respond the simple way, with cleaner stick work, quicker puck decisions, and fewer freebies near their crease. The next game is another chance to turn this road swing back toward something positive.

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