Is Ryan Lomberg playing tonight against Toronto Maple Leafs? May 4, 2023 | NHL Playoffs

Unfortunately for the Florida Panthers, Ryan Lomberg will not suit up for tonight's Game 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lomberg, who suffered an upper-body injury in Game 1, has been labeled week-to-week and has already missed the last three games.

The 28-year-old winger was able to play through the injury for a short while before being forced to sit out. In his four playoff games, Ryan Lomberg was unable to record a single point but did manage to tally five shots, nine hits, and 18 penalty minutes.

Despite his lack of offensive production, Lomberg is known for his physical play and energy on the ice, making his absence a notable one for the Panthers.

With Ryan Lomberg expected to miss at least the first two games of the second round, the Panthers will need to rely on their depth to fill the void. Coach Joel Quenneville may choose to use a different player in the lineup or shuffle his lines to make up for Lomberg's absence.

As the series shifts to Toronto for Games 3 and 4, the Panthers will hope to have Ryan Lomberg back in the lineup to help them regain their footing in the series. For now, however, they will need to focus on overcoming his absence and finding a way to even up the series tonight on home ice.

Florida Panthers win Game 1 against Maple Leafs without Ryan Lomberg

The Florida Panthers have continued their impressive form in the NHL playoffs by opening their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 4-2 win in Game 1. The Panthers, who won their final three games against Boston in the opening playoff series, took a 1-0 lead in the series against the Leafs.

This victory was particularly significant for the Panthers, who had not won a series opener since their first-round meeting with the New York Rangers in 1997. Florida broke their eight-game losing streak with a solid performance in Toronto.

The Panthers got goals from Nick Cousins, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, and Brandon Montour, while goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 34 saves, including eight in the final three minutes of the game. Matthew Tkachuk had three assists, while Sasha Barkov recorded two.

Toronto started strongly, but Florida managed to survive the early pressure and took a 1-0 lead through Cousins at 9:25 of the first period. The Panthers doubled their lead when Bennett deflected in a long shot from Aaron Ekblad.

The Leafs responded quickly with Matthew Knies scoring his first NHL goal, followed by a goal from Rasmus Sandin to tie the game at 2-2. However, Florida did not panic and took a 3-2 lead into the third period when Verhaeghe scored his 11th playoff goal, passing Ray Sheppard for most all-time in franchise history.

The Panthers held the Leafs at bay for much of the third period and sealed the win with a goal from Montour on a delayed penalty. This win gives the Panthers a 1-0 lead in the series and takes home ice advantage away from the Leafs.