Girgenson and Balinsky make their debut in the Stanley Cup, Lightning meeting with champion Panthers / day

The 31 -year -old Girgenson spent the previous 11 seasons in the Buffalo Sabers, without the team failing to qualify for the playoffs.

The 28 -year -old Balinsky, who won the Stanley Cup last season, has not played in the play off games last season. The Latvian was in the application in several playoffs, but did not go on the field. Given the disqualification of teammate Aaron Ekblad, the Latvian guard could also make his debut in the Stanley Cup.

The first two games of the first round of the Eastern Conference will be played in Tampa. The first match will take place Latvian time at 3.30 pm on Wednesday, but the second game on Friday will begin at 1.30 pm.

The third and fourth game of the series will be played on Saturday and Monday on the Panthers. If more than four games are needed, the next matches are scheduled for April 30 at the Lightning Square, on May 2 at the Panthers at home and May 4 in the Tampa Club Arena.

This season, Girgenson was the lowest -scoring NHL career – in 82 games he was six (2+4) points, but scored a record number of penalty minutes – 47. The attacker’s efficiency was -7.

Balinsky, who was the second season in the NHL, was his team’s fifth top scorer – in his account in 76 matches 18 (4+14) points. The Latvian also earned 27 penalty minutes, as well as the worst +/- index between the guards -7.

In the semi -finals of the conference « Lightning » – the winner of the Panthers duel will meet the winner of the Ottawa Senators and Toronto « Maple Leafs ». The other two first -round couples consist of Montreal Canadiens with the Washington Capitals and Carolina’s Hurricanes with the New Jersey Devils.

Other Latvian teams did not qualify for the Stanley Cup this season.

Goalkeeper Elvis Merzlikin and Columbus’ Blue Jackets missed two points to the play -off place in the Eastern Conference and had to settle for the ninth position. Meanwhile, the NHL debutant Rodrigo Apple unit Philadelphia Flyers, although finishing in the last 16th place in the east, with 15 points behind the playoffs.

Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, goalkeeper Arthur Shilov and the Vancouver Canucks team finished in the tenth position. The team was separated from the « Play Off » area.

Western Conference quarter -finals are fighting regular championship winner Winnipeg « Jets » with St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars with Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings with Edmonton’s « Oilers » and Vegas « Golden Knights » with Minnesota with Minnesota.

Last season, the Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers by 4-3 in the final series, winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in club history.