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Brayden Point Likely To Play In Game 4

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Tampa Bay Lightning fans can breathe a sigh of relief as head coach Jon Cooper has indicated that Brayden Point may suit up for tonight’s pivotal Game 4 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In a tweet Monday, David Alter of The Hockey News reported Cooper stated Point “should be in tonight” after he was shaken up from a collision with Maple Leafs defender Morgan Rielly in the third period of Saturday’s overtime loss.

While Cooper did note that Point’s status was still a game-time decision, his optimistic tone suggests the talented forward may be able to take the ice tonight. Point did return to Game 3 despite looking extremely uncomfortable immediately after the collision, skating 12 shifts and not showing any signs of decreased usage.

Injuries have affected Tampa significantly in this series, with a pair of key defenders, Victor Hedman and Erik Černák, both missing games. For a Lightning team not as deep as they’ve been in past seasons, it’s been a tough battle to overcome, although they outplayed Toronto for most of Game 3 despite the loss.

Point is one of three Lightning skaters with multiple goals thus far in the series, and they’ll rely on his historically clutch offense to help tie the series if he can play tonight. The 27-year-old has 40 goals and 81 points in 79 career playoff games for Tampa.

Jack Drury Will Not Return To Game Four

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Shortly after the first period began in Game Four of the playoff series between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders, Islanders’ defenseman Ryan Pulock delivered a sizeable hit to Hurricanes’ forward Jack Drury. Drury would not return for the rest of the period, and Carolina has announced that he will not return to the game today due to an upper-body injury.

Initially, because Drury’s back was turned to Pulock, and due to his distance away from the boards, the referees initially gave Pulock a major penalty, which would have put Carolina on the powerplay for five minutes. Instead, the referees decided to downgrade the penalty to a minor, and Pulock was only sentenced to two minutes in the penalty box.

Although Drury’s numbers in the AHL have not yet transferred over to the NHL, he still has become a decent depth forward for the Hurricanes. In 38 regular season games this year, Drury scored two goals and six assists. More importantly, Drury managed strong possession numbers throughout the entire season, posting a Corsi For % in all situations of 65.9.

In this year’s playoffs, Drury has played in all four games for Carolina up to this point, without recording a point but winning all nine faceoffs that he has taken. Although not producing the points that the Hurricanes may need come playoff time, Drury’s ability to help the team possess the puck while he is out there will be something that Carolina will miss if he is unable to play in any more games this series.

Atlantic Notes: Point, Cernak, Panthers Goalies

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Despite slamming his head into the boards in a scary-looking play in last night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning star Brayden Point returned to the ice and finished the game. Today, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper issued an update on his 50-goal scorer, via the Tampa Bay Times’ Eduardo Encina, stating that he is being cautious with Point’s status and hopes that he’ll be available for the next game in the series.

Any extended absence from Point would be a significant blow to the Lightning’s hopes of defeating the Maple Leafs in this series. Point is arguably the offensive engine of the Lightning since he scored 51 goals and 95 points in the regular season and firmly established himself as an upper-echelon first-line center. Should he not be available for the all-important fourth game of this series,it’s possible that his absence will be a setback the Lightning can’t overcome.

Other notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • Another major Tampa Bay health-related storyline regards defenseman Erik Cernak, who hasn’t returned to the ice since he was on the other end of a vicious hit to the head from Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting. Encina relays word from Cooper that Cernak is considered out day-to-day, and will not be able to play in Game Four, meaning Tampa will once again have to make do without one of their best defensive blueliners. That being said, he has not yet been ruled out for the series.
  • The Florida Panthers could be making a swap in their crease, head coach Paul Maurice told the media (including the Boston Globe’s Matt Porter) today. Maurice said he considers most of his roster to be a game-time decision, including his netminders, meaning we could see the team give two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky the start over Lyon, whose red-hot play revived the Panthers’ playoff hopes in the regular season. Lyon’s regular-season brilliance hasn’t yet fully translated to the playoffs, and he has a .902 save percentage and 3.26 goals-against-average through three games.

Central Notes: Morrissey, Avalanche, Eriksson Ek

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As the Winnipeg Jets look to take back the lead in their first-round matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights, they will have to do it without Norris candidate Josh Morrissey. The team announced that Morrissey will not return to Game Three due to a lower-body injury.

On the heels of far and away the best season of his career, Morrissey will be a huge missing presence on the ice for the Jets. The team hasn’t made any mention of his status for Game Four in their series, as they will likely give updates after tonight’s game or tomorrow. In two games played so far for Morrissey in the playoffs, he has managed one assist, dishing the puck to teammate Kyle Connor for the opening goal in this series.

Although it will be near impossible to replicate the kind of offense that Morrissey is able to bring from the back end, the one player who could hold down the fort in the meantime is defenseman Neal Pionk. Pionk has been a steady presence on the blue line for the Jets over the last four seasons, hovering around 30 points every year, including a 45-point season in 2019-20.

Other notes from the Central Division:

  • In his media availability this morning, the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, Jared Bednar relayed to the press that he is unsure if either Andrew Cogliano or Lars Eller will play tonight (Twitter Link). Cogliano has yet to play for the Avalanche in their series against the Seattle Kraken, as he is still working his way back from an upper-body injury suffered toward the end of the regular season. Eller, on the other hand, has played in both games so far for Colorado but did appear to be shaken up after receiving a hit in Game Two.
  • Sarah McLellan of Star Tribune Sports reports that Joel Eriksson Ek is being evaluated by the Minnesota Wild, and would likely know if he will be in the lineup before their game tomorrow. Eriksson Ek returned to the Wild for Game Three and only managed to play for 19 seconds before leaving for the rest of the game. Although Minnesota has a 2-1 lead so far in the series, Eriksson Ek was one of four Wild players to score more than 60 points this season, and will certainly be missed by Minnesota.

Lightning Notes: Hedman, Cernak, Eyssimont, Cirelli

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Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman is classified as a game-time decision for tonight’s third game against Toronto, head coach Jon Cooper told reporters including Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times.  The veteran, who took part in line rushes with Nick Perbix in the morning skate, will take the pregame skate, a step he was unable to do in Thursday’s second game.  While his production was down sharply this season, he still managed 49 points in 76 games while logging nearly 24 minutes a night and he would certainly be a significant boost to a back end that struggled considerably on Thursday night.

More from Tampa Bay:

  • Encina also notes that blueliner Erik Cernak isn’t expected to return tonight. He was injured in the opening game of the series after taking a hit to the head from Michael Bunting, a play that earned the winger a three-game suspension.  Cernak did not take part in the morning skate.  The 25-year-old averaged nearly three hits per game this season while chipping in with 14 points in 70 games.  Notably, Cernak also led all Lightning blueliners in shorthanded playing time per game.
  • While they won’t get Cernak back, Encina relays that the Lightning will have the option of putting forward Mikey Eyssimont back in the lineup. The 25-year-old suffered a head injury in the series opener.  Eyssimont has been a regular most nights on Tampa Bay’s fourth line but with Tanner Jeannot returning on Thursday, it’s not a guarantee that he’ll be suiting up even after being cleared to return.
  • TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie mentions (Twitter link) that center Anthony Cirelli took part in the morning skate today, a sign that he should be able to suit up tonight. He took a hit from Auston Matthews late in the third in Game Two but it appears it won’t keep him out of action.

David Krejci Out For Game Three

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Already without captain Patrice Bergeron in their lineup, the Boston Bruins have announced that another veteran center, this time David Krejci, will miss game three with an upper-body injury. At the end of the regular season, Krejci was shut down for the final two games, that time being a lower-body injury.

Delivering on a “Last Dance” style season, the Bruins handily took the NHL’s President’s Trophy, breaking the all-time win record by a team for a single season. Heading into this year’s playoffs, the Bruins were the heavy favorite to eventually win Lord Stanley’s Cup. Unfortunately for the team, they will be without not only two of their best players but two of their best leaders as they play a pivotal game three against the Florida Panthers.

Luckily for the Bruins, after acquiring such players as Dmitry Orlov, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Garnet Hathaway at the trade deadline, they should still reasonably be expected to win this series, but their pathway is becoming a lot more difficult. The Panthers delivered a decisive blow to take game two and will have the benefit of being on home ice for the next two games.

 

Blake Lizotte Out For Game Three, Latest On Kevin Fiala

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The Los Angeles Kings will remain without Kevin Fiala for tonight’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, according to team reporter Zach Dooley. In addition, center Blake Lizotte has suffered a lower-body injury, and will also miss tonight’s game. Kings head coach Todd McLellan said Gabriel Vilardi would shift to the third-line center slot vacated by Lizotte.

This update on Fiala is not wholly unexpected since he has yet to play in his team’s first-round playoff series. It is nonetheless unfortunate news for Kings fans, though, as Fiala is the team’s most important offensive generator, having posted 72 points in 69 regular-season games.

Fiala last played in a March 1st victory over the Seattle Kraken, a game where he posted a goal and an assist. Before his injury, Fiala had compiled a stretch of eight points in six games, and that’s exactly the sort of production the Kings may need to keep up with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the high-flying Oilers offense.

Lizotte’s absence, unlike Fiala’s, is more unexpected. The energetic undrafted forward has played in both of the Kings’ playoff games this year and is an important bottom-sixer for the team. He set a career-high scoring 11 goals and 34 points this season and is a valued second-unit penalty killer.

Since the Kings are facing an Oilers team who boast one of the most lethal power plays in recent NHL history, the loss of Lizotte heightens Los Angeles’ need to remain disciplined this series.

While the fact that they are heading back to Los Angeles with a tied series and a win on the road should inspire confidence for the Kings, this new absence of Lizotte will undoubtedly make taking a series lead on the Oilers a more daunting task.

Victor Hedman Out For Game Two

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Mark Masters of TSN reports that all-star defenseman Victor Hedman will not dress in game two, as the Tampa Bay Lightning look to take a commanding lead against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In now the 10th playoff stretch throughout his career, this will only be the third game that Hedman has ever missed in the quest for Lord Stanley.

During the Lightning’s dominating win against the Maple Leafs Tuesday night, Hedman would only see the ice for about six and a half minutes, before leaving the rest of the game with an undisclosed injury. It appears the injury is substantial, as he will not be skating for the team in game two, and defenseman Haydn Fleury will take his place in the lineup.

Although Hedman would only play a handful of minutes, it did not appear to affect the Lightning all that much. However, with the potent offense of the Maple Leafs staring them down, Hedman is a major piece to be missing for Tampa Bay. A winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Hedman is one of the better playoff performers of the past decade.

On the other side of the puck, the Maple Leafs now have an even better opportunity to knock off the three-time defending Eastern Conference Champions. As game two gets underway shortly, and putting aside the surefire game one victory, the Lightning will have an uphill battle without one of their top players in the lineup.

Jan Rutta Undergoes Surgery

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The Pittsburgh Penguins failed to make the playoffs for the first time in many years, allowing some players to get cleanup surgeries. This week, Jan Rutta went under the knife for a procedure to repair a core muscle injury. The surgery was performed in St. Louis and will keep Rutta out for an estimated eight to ten weeks.

That timeline leaves him plenty of time to get ready for next season, though core muscle injuries are notorious for affecting performance longer than the initial recovery.

Rutta, 32, suited up for 56 games this season in Pittsburgh after signing a three-year, $8.25MM contract in the summer. The deal was a significant payday for the former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman, who has never had a contract longer than two years previously.

While he’ll never offer much offensive upside, Rutta was given brutal defensive deployment this year in Pittsburgh. While his possession numbers look ugly, the results weren’t nearly as bad. The Penguins outscored their opponents 33-32 while Rutta was on the ice at even strength. Given his strong contribution on the penalty kill, he should continue to play a solid (though limited) role for Pittsburgh moving forward.

Lightning Notes: Hedman, Jeannot, Eyssimont

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The Tampa Bay Lightning could have Victor Hedman back in the lineup tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The big defenseman took the morning skate, and is a game-time decision. Hedman left game one early with what head coach Jon Cooper deemed a”new” injury, but might not miss much important action. The Lightning rolled over Toronto in game one while playing shorthanded, after Erik Cernak also left with a head injury.

Cernak has been ruled out, but it is a good sign for Lightning fans that Hedman is this close, even if he happens to miss tonight.

Here are some more Lightning injury notes:

  • All indications are that Tanner Jeannot will make his Tampa Bay postseason debut tonight, less than two weeks after suffering what appeared to be a serious injury. The former Nashville Predators forward was the team’s big deadline addition and could add another level of physicality to the series. Jeannot scored just one goal in 20 games with the Lightning after the trade but racked up 77 hits, even averaging fewer than 12 minutes a night.
  • Mikey Eyssimont, who also left game one after a big hit, has been ruled out for game two but took part in morning skate. That’s another good sign that he could return this series, giving the Lightning some more depth as they try to knock Toronto out for the second year in a row.

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