As the Tampa Bay Lightning prepare to play the Montreal Canadiens early this afternoon at the Bell Centre, it’s hard to focus on the fact that the team has to go out and play a sixty (or more) minute hockey game.
Thanks to the unfortunate reality that both Vezina-contending goalie Ben Bishop and backup Anders Lindback were injured in the team’s last game, the organization recalled Cedrick Desjardins and Kristers Gudlevskis from the Syracuse Crunch yesterday.
As if the injury situation could get any worse for the Lightning. Already without Steven Stamkos, the Bolts are now faced with the possibility of having to dress two American League goaltenders in a pivotal game against a division rival. That, ladies and gentlemen, probably isn’t a recipe for success. Did I mention that Valtteri Filppula will also likely miss the contest with an injury he suffered in the Senators game? Yes, it gets that much worse.
Having both Filppula and Stamkos out of the lineup puts the Lightning in a very weird situation. Few teams have to deal with losing their top two centers and their top goaltender at one time. Erik Erlendsson reported that Jon Cooper had Nikita Kucherov in between Alex Killorn and Teddy Purcell at practice, effectively making him Filppula’s replacement. It’s just another opportunity for the young Russian to prove he belongs. Don’t be surprised if he runs with it.
Before all this negativity makes certain individuals cry, it’s worth noting that Ben Bishop could possibly start today. He participated in a full practice with the team yesterday and is currently listed as day-to-day. With Lindback out long-term, the Lightning needed to recall one goaltender from Syracuse anyway. The second was called up as Bishop insurance, in case he feels uncomfortable in the morning.
Should the need arise, I’m hoping that Kristers Gudlevskis gets a taste of NHL action. After starting the season in the ECHL, the 2013 5th round draft pick has worked his way up the Lightning depth chart at a rapid pace. Some will claim that he’s not experienced enough to get an NHL game under his belt and that he’s still too green. While he may be inexperienced, one game isn’t going to hurt his development. He’s been turned to in Syracuse as a guy who can be counted on to win, and Team Latvia will count on him in Sochi. Why can’t the Lightning count on him for one night?
With all that injury talk out of the way, I’ll just mention briefly that both the Lightning and Canadiens are struggling right now. As a result of some less than inspiring play from both clubs, the Atlantic Division playoff race is wide open at this point. The Lightning currently sit in second place with 67 points, while the Canadiens sit fourth with 63. Simply put, this is a big game standings-wise.
It’s very late/early, so I’m off to get some shuteye. I’ll likely be around during and after the game. As always, thanks for reading.