Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Injuries indeed strike Lightning twice with Kucherov, Stralman

Michal Rozsival, Nikita Kucherov

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Michal Rozsival (32), of the Czech Republic, falls down on the puck in front of Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86), of Russia, during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

AP

As feared, Nikita Kucherov was not able to play in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s significant skirmish with the Florida Panthers on Saturday night.

The details are mum (file him as “undisclosed” and “day-to-day”) for Kucherov, who attempted to play but didn’t feel so great during warm-ups.

Kucherov appeared to get hurt late in the Lightning’s boisterous win against the New York Islanders on Friday. Here are a few accounts of Kucherov taking tonight’s warm-up:

Update: A slightly more descriptive way of ... kind of saying the same thing about Kucherov.

Really, it’s coming down in buckets for the Lightning lately.

The biggest concerns are with Kucherov and Anton Stralman, whose return is limited to “maybe if the Lightning make a deep playoff run.”

Tampa Bay is rolling with 11 forwards and seven defensemen in this key game against the Florida Panthers. If they manage a win (they’re currently down 2-1), it would be quite the remarkable feat for a team that’s starting to show some of the promise they often exhibited last season.

Perhaps we’ll get a more exact idea regarding Kucherov’s condition later tonight?