Did Trouba deserve a suspension?

Paul Maurice and Jacob Trouba both in image, hockey rink in background, money in image

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba was fined $5,000 by the National Hockey League after a questionable elbow on Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final on Sunday — but Paul Maurice has no sympathy for the Blueshirts’ captain.

“Take the hat, pass it around. Poor lad. Poor Jake. He won’t be able to eat,” the Panthers head coach joked, according to Sportsnet.

Maurice and Trouba are no strangers to one another; the former coached the latter for six seasons with the Winnipeg Jets. Although Trouba was fined the maximum amount allowable under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, Panthers fans probably won’t think it’s enough. It was certainly a tough call, but in the regular-season, the hit probably could have been a major rather than just a two-minute minor.

Trouba was given two minutes for elbowing after a lengthy review; the Rangers would go on to win 5-4 in overtime to steal back home-ice advantage at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.

Rodrigues needed help from the trainer after the check, but ended up returning to the game in the third period. Maurice confirmed the speedy winger should be good to go for Game 4.

As for Trouba, the Rangers captain has been suspended just twice over his 11-season NHL career; this will be his third fine, per The Score’s Josh Wegman. One of those fines came earlier in 2023-24 when he high-sticked Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic.

“A $5,000 fine for Trouba, who makes $8 million per season, is equivalent to someone with a $100,000 salary getting fined about $62.50 – so roughly a parking ticket,” wrote Wegman on Monday.

Panthers no longer in control after back-to-back overtime defeats

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the New York Rangers during the third period in game three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena.Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
The Panthers stole home-ice advantage back from the President’s Trophy winners in Game 1, riding a Sergei Bobrovsky masterclass en route to a 3-0 win.

But after back-to-back overtime losses — once at Madison Square Garden and another at Amerant Bank Arena in Games 2 and 3, respectively — the Cats are one loss away from heading back to the Big Apple facing elimination for the first time this postseason.

Florida made a great comeback in the game, falling down 4-2 to New York but finding a way back with two goals in quick succession. But it was Alex Wennberg who scored the dagger, deflecting a puck past Bobrovsky just under six minutes into the extra frame to end the contest.

The Panthers certainly looked like the better team in Game 3, but the Rangers were again bailed out by a terrific performance from goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Both of the Russian netminders have been excellent throughout the series, but Shesterkin got the better of Bobrovsky on Sunday afternoon.

And on Tuesday night in South Beach, the Panthers will take to the ice trailing in a postseason series for the first time since the 2023 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights. Florida beat Tampa Bay in five and dispatched Boston in six in the first two rounds in 2024.

Now, they are facing serious adversity for the first time in the playoffs. It’ll be intereseting to see if Paul Maurice’s team can get back in the win column for the club’s most important game of the season on Tuesday.