'Cross Your Fingers, Hopefully, He'll Be Ready to Go': Lightning's Victor Hedman a Game-Time Decision Against Maple Leafs
Having missed Game 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, the Tampa Bay Lightning are hopeful to have their top defenseman back in the lineup for Game 3.
TAMPA — Victor Hedman is a game-time decision and will take warmups when the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 3 of their best-of-seven first-round series.
"Cross your fingers, hopefully, he'll be ready to go," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said of Hedman's playing status.
Tampa's top defenseman took part in the team's morning skate. Hedman skated with Nick Perbix on regular line rushes, an indication that the 2020 Conn Smythe Trophy winner could be making his return.
Hedman was injured in Game 1 against the Maple Leafs. He skated for just 6:35. He returned to the bench in the second period of the game but then departed without taking another shift. He was a game-time decision for Game 2 but did not end up taking the warmups and subsequently came out of the lineup.
The club is already without Erik Cernak, who took an illegal check to the head from Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting in Game 1. Bunting was suspended for Games 2-4 and won't be available to Toronto until Game 5 of the series, which will take place on Thursday.
Without Hedman and Cernak, the Maple Leafs feasted on the Lightning, defeating them 7-2 to even up their first-round series with Tampa at 1-1.
"When you don't have a guy like that in the lineup, you miss him," Lightning defenseman Ian Cole said."
Hedman has rarely missed playoff games for the Lightning. The last time it occurred was in 2019 when he missed two out of Tampa's four playoff games with an upper-body injury in a year when they swept in the opening round in stunning fashion by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
"He's certainly made out of that Viking stuff for sure," Cole said of Hedman's durability. "Without a doubt, he's played through a lot of stuff."
The Maple Leafs don't expect to change their preparations based on Hedman's presence on the ice.
"We went into last game assuming he was going to and we'll go into today's game assuming he will play," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "It doesn't change our mindset."
The 2018 Norris Trophy winner has 22 goals and 85 assists in 156 NHL playoff games.
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