FORT LAUDERDALE -- Florida star winger Sam Reinhart will not be on the ice for Saturday's Game 3 vs. Carolina after missing most of the Panthers' Game 2 win with a lower-body injury, Florida coach Paul Maurice said.
Reinhart suffered the injury on a low hip check by Carolina center Sebastian Aho, which went unpenalized.
Reinhart, a first-line forward, has four goals and seven assists in the playoffs this year. Reinhart had a team-leading 39 goals and 81 points during the regular season.
"We've had guys step up all year, and when guys go down, it's just someone else's opportunity to fill a bigger role," Panthers forward Sam Bennett said. "And again, everyone stepped up tonight and helped fill that massive hole."
Florida turned to a mix of Carter Verhaeghe and fourth-line forwards A.J. Greer, Tomas Nosek and Jonah Gadjovich to fill in for Reinhart for the final two periods of the win.
"Obviously, hate to see a guy go down, and as a team and as a band of brothers, you pick everyone up," Greer said. "So as far as myself getting upline shifts, that's great. I don't see myself trying to change my game at all, and I'm trying to just do the same things I do on the fourth line, and not trying to force anything. So I thought we did a really good job at kind of staying composed there."