Nine. That’s how many Lightning players are out with injuries right now and for head coach Guy Boucher, it’s made life miserable in Tampa.
After seeing the Lightning come within a game of the Stanley Cup finals, the Bolts are buried at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. For Boucher, it’s been more than trying to win games with constant injuries as he tells Lonnie Herman of NHL.com.
“Right now, it doesn’t really matter -- home or on the road -- it’s a question of injuries. Malone and Tyrell are out and half of Norfolk is coming up,” Boucher said, in reference to the call-ups from the team’s AHL affiliate. “Upper body, lower body, back of the body and top of the head … we’ve got them all now. To me, it’s just a blur right now.”
It might be a blur, but the Lightning have won three in a row. Getting great play from Steve Stamkos, Martin St. Louis, and Vincent Lecavalier is expected but they’ve had to step up even more being so shorthanded.
The Lightning having to go without three starting defensemen (Victor Hedman, Mattias Ohlund, Marc-Andre Bergeron) as well as starting forwards like Ryan Malone, Adam Hall, and Ryan Shannon it makes staying consistent a big problem. For now, Boucher will hope that everyone can get healthy while their slew of AHL call-ups can help the team rally in the second half.