The Tampa Bay Lightning may be dominating the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Wild so far tonight, but they’ve lost two regular forwards in the process.
According to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun, Tyler Johnson and Vladislav Namestnikov have both left the game with lower-body injuries and will not return.
Namestnikov left the game clutching his left leg; Tampa Bay Times reporter Joe Smith tweeted that the injury “doesn’t look good.” After the Lightning went up 3-0 on the Wild, Johnson was hit by winger Nino Niederreiter and needed to be helped off the ice by his teammates.
If Johnson is out for any extending time, it could seriously hurt the Lightning’s slim playoff chances. He has 43 points in 63 games, good for third in team scoring. However, a serious injury to Johnson could be partially relieved by Steven Stamkos’ impending return to the lineup.
Namestnikov, meanwhile, has 24 points in 61 games, which ranks eighth on the Lightning for the season.