Tampa Bay Lightning forward Tyler Johnson came to Columbus for the All-Star weekend, but he didn’t end up participating in the skills competition or game due to a lower-body injury. Typically players that skip the All-Star Game are forced to miss their team’s following contest, but Johnson is allowed to play on Tuesday against Carolina.
He might not be able to though.
“No question, there’s concern,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper told 620 WDAE. He revealed that Johnson was hurt during the Lightning’s last game before the break on Jan. 20, but the decision was made to let him go to Columbus in the hope that he would be fine.
Cooper isn’t sure if he’ll be available for Tuesday’s contest, which will air on NBCSN (7:30 p.m. ET).
Tampa Bay has a division-leading 30-14-4 record, but Cooper feels that the schedule will be tougher for the Lightning going forward. So while they’re certainly in a great position, they have to fight against complacency.