The Lightning will be without rookie defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous after he was placed on injured reserve following a leg-on-leg collision with Kirill Marchenko. Players placed on IR must miss a minimum of seven days, ruling D’Astous out for Monday’s home game against Utah and Thursday’s matchup with Winnipeg. Following the move, the team recalled defenseman Max Groshev from the Syracuse Crunch.
The Lightning were already down two players entering Saturday’s game in Columbus and finished the night with just 11 forwards and four defensemen after losing veteran defenseman Erik Cernak.
Cernak left the game after being hit hard into the boards by Columbus forward Mathieu Olivier. There was no penalty called on the play despite contact being made from behind. Forward Gage Goncalves was also absent from the bench at the start of the second period and did not return.
The Lightning have been dealing with a steady stream of injuries this season, especially on the backend. Veterans Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh are working their way back to game action after spending time on long-term injured reserve. McDonagh was unavailable for Tampa Bay’s two-game road trip, but coach Jon Cooper said Thursday he is expected to return before the Olympic break. Hedman, who is recovering from elbow surgery, is expected back in early February.
The Lightning have five games remaining before the Olympic break, including the NHL Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1.