Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ondrej Palat gave the impression that he’s better than a game-time decision for tonight’s game against the New York Islanders, as the Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith reports:
#tblightning Palat said he's ready to play tonight
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) November 15, 2014
Palat, 23, missed Friday’s practice with a lower-body injury, but it doesn’t sound like it’s significant enough to force him to sit out any game time. Of course, there’s always the chance that head coach Jon Cooper/the Lightning’s training staff might disagree with Palat’s prognosis, yet one can otherwise assume he’ll play against the Isles.
Even though Palat says he's ready to go tonight, Bowness reiterated it's still "a game-time decision" whether the forward plays #TBLightning
— Bryan Burns (@BBurnsNHL) November 15, 2014
Palat’s been effective for the Lightning so far this season, collecting 11 points in 17 games while averaging a little more than 18 minutes per contest. His possession stats are pretty nice, as well.
Considering the Islanders’ high-octane offense, the Bolts may need every bit of firepower they can manage, and Palat’s certainly one of their better young forwards.