The Lightning fell 8–5 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night, losing veteran defenseman Erik Cernak to injury.
Cernak exited 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. Cernak appeared to turn at the last moment before impact, which may have contributed to the no-call.
Already down two players to start the night, the Lightning finished with 11 forwards and four defensemen following Charle-Edouard D’Astous’ leg-on-leg collision with Kirill Marchenko. Forward Gage Goncalves was also absent from the bench at the start of the second period and did not return.
Forward Jack Finley and defenseman Max Crozier were scratched before puck drop due to illness, prompting the recall of forward Jakob Pelletier from the Syracuse Crunch. Defenseman Simon Lundmark made his NHL debut.
Some good news: veteran defensemen Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh are working their way back to game action after being sidelined with injuries. While McDonagh was unavailable for the Lightning’s two-game road trip, coach Jon Cooper said Thursday that 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 break.