After leading the Panthers with goals (39) and points (81) during the regular season, Reinhart accumulated 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) in 14 games this postseason.
Even if Reinhart went missing, Florida won Game 2 5-0, earning a 2-0 series lead.
“We’ve got a lot of experience and we’re not necessarily losing Reyno, but we’ve lost the lineup up and down,” defensive man Aaron Eckbrad said. “It’s not easy, but it’s the effort of the team. The next mentality has always been there for us.”
With Reinhart out, Jesper Boqvist reenters the lineup and takes his spot on the top line.
In nine playoff games, the speedy Swedes scored goals, assists and 30 hits.
Powerful forechecker Boqvist’s 22.52 hits per 60 minutes ranked third for the Panthers.
“He can jump in and there’s no delay in his game,” Maurice said of Bokvist, a career-high 12 goals in the regular season. “He doesn’t have to get used to the series. There’s a lot of maturity in what he’s doing. He’s played with Barky (Alexander Barkov) last time and switched the other side tonight.”
Click here for Game 3 tickets.