Tampa Bay Lightning
1st in Atlantic · 1st in Eastern Conference
vs Maple Leafs
Wed, Feb 25 · 7:30 PM ET · TNT, TruTV, HBO MAX, Sportsnet, TVAS
1st in Atlantic · 1st in Eastern Conference
vs Maple Leafs
Wed, Feb 25 · 7:30 PM ET · TNT, TruTV, HBO MAX, Sportsnet, TVAS
Lightning forwards Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel, plus blueliner Erik Cernak, gut out massive quarterfinal wins to crash the medal round in Milano Cortina. Hagel logs heavy minutes for Canada in their OT thriller over Czechia, while Cernak picks up an assist in Slovakia's gritty battle against Germany, and Guentzel chips in for Team USA's overtime stunner past Sweden.
Victor Hedman, the Lightning captain and six-time Norris Trophy finalist, picks up a lower-body injury right in pregame warmups and sits out Sweden's critical quarterfinal against the United States. He's been their blue-line anchor at these Olympics, logging heavy minutes with a goal and assist already, but now Team Sweden scrambles without their top defenseman in a do-or-die matchup.
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Max Crozier lands on injured reserve for 10 weeks after suffering a core muscle injury. The setback hits a depth piece who's been scratching for minutes in a Cup-contending lineup. Coaches scramble for AHL call-ups now, as every roster spot counts with the trade deadline looming.
Sweden drops its full roster for the Milano Cortina Olympics, stacking the lineup with NHL stars like Filip Forsberg, Elias Pettersson and a deep blue line featuring Victor Hedman once he shakes off that elbow tweak. Coach Sam Hallam mixes 4 Nations vets with fresh blood like Jesper Wallstedt in net, aiming to end a 20-year gold drought since Turin.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are 1st in the Atlantic Division with a 37-14-4 record (78 points). Key injuries include Pontus Holmberg (Undisclosed, IR), Emil Lilleberg (Undisclosed, IR), Ryan McDonagh (Lower Body, IR), and 2 others on IR/LTIR, totaling $28.10M on injured reserve.