Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Having a hearing for elbowing

Ekblad will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Tuesday for elbowing Tampa Bay's Brandon Hagel (upper body) on Monday.

Ekblad didn't receive a penalty on the play, but he will probably serve a suspension for his actions in Monday's 4-2 win over the Lightning in Game 4. After a 20-game ban for violating the league's Performance Enhancing Substances Program, the 29-year-old defender has one goal, three shots on net, six hits and four blocked shots in two playoff outings. If Ekblad receives a suspension for Game 5 on Wednesday, Uvis Balinskis will probably return to the lineup.