Panthers' Dmitry Kulikov: Provides helper Tuesday

Kulikov notched an assist and five hits in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Lightning in Game 1.

This was Kulikov's third game back after he missed 12 contests due to an upper-body injury. The 34-year-old defenseman is once again in a top-four role, though he could see a slight drop in minutes once Aaron Ekblad (suspension) comes back for Saturday's Game 3. Kulikov is a reliable shutdown defender, and he earned 13 points, 114 hits, 71 blocked shots and a plus-12 rating over 70 regular-season appearances.