Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Sets up empty-netter

Ekblad logged an assist, three shots on goal, three blocked shots, two hits, two PIM and a plus-3 rating in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Islanders.

It was an all-around strong performance for Ekblad, who was rewarded with a helper on Matthew Tkachuk's empty-netter. Ekblad has earned five points over five contests since returning from an upper-body injury. The defenseman is up to 25 points, 88 shots, 69 hits, 59 blocks, 41 PIM and a plus-7 rating through 46 outings overall. He continues to provide good category coverage in a top-pairing role.