The Tampa Bay Lightning are rolling. Sitting atop the Atlantic Division and riding a seven-game winning streak, this team is finding ways to win even while dealing with a laundry list of injuries to key players. And now, there’s a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.
Monday’s practice at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York - the team’s first full session in nearly a week - brought some encouraging signs. With a packed schedule that included holiday travel, back-to-back afternoon games, and a rare day off in New York City, the Lightning finally got a chance to regroup ahead of Tuesday’s road trip finale against the Islanders.
Defensemen Victor Hedman and Max Crozier were back on the ice, fully participating in drills. That’s a good sign, especially for Crozier, who’s been out for seven games with a lower-body injury. Head coach Jon Cooper noted that Crozier is the closest to returning among the injured group.
“Crow is close,” Cooper said after practice. “Heddy is probably not, but he got to twirl around a little bit and participate in some drills.
And then you see Mac and Pointer come on at the end. So, I always think that’s encouraging for the guys.
But the fact that you’re on the ice doesn’t expedite when they’re coming back. There’s still a timetable.
But Crow’s the closest.”
Crozier’s progress is promising, but the rest of the group remains in a holding pattern. Hedman and Ryan McDonagh - both of whom haven’t played since Nov. 8 against Washington - were out there in a limited capacity. Center Brayden Point, who’s missed four games since leaving mid-game against the Capitals on Nov. 22, also made a brief appearance, doing some light individual work alongside McDonagh after practice.
Still, Cooper made it clear: just being out there doesn’t mean a return is imminent. For now, the Lightning will continue to lean on their depth.
One notable absence from Monday’s skate was Erik Cernak. The top right-shot defenseman has missed the last four games with an undisclosed injury and wasn’t on the ice. That leaves Tampa Bay still thin on the blue line, even as Crozier inches closer to a return.
And yet, despite all the injuries, the Lightning continue to stack wins. Heading into Tuesday’s game, they lead the Atlantic Division by four points, are tied with Carolina for the most points (34) in the Eastern Conference, and boast the conference’s best points percentage (.680). They’re also tied with Washington for the best plus/minus rating at plus-19.
It’s the kind of stretch that speaks volumes about the team’s resilience - and their depth.
“The one thing about this group, you can’t fault their work ethic,” Cooper said. “You’re coming off a back-to-back Friday and Saturday.
Having an off day in New York City is a rarity, so I think it was great for the guys, especially after the way they played. But they came out here and worked and maybe tried to shake the rust off in the first couple drills, but after that it was really good.”
That work ethic has been personified lately by Brandon Hagel, who’s been on an absolute tear. The winger was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week after a four-game stretch where he led all players with six goals and added two assists. He also tied for the league lead in shots on goal (17) and plus/minus (plus-9).
Hagel has scored in five straight games and enters Tuesday’s matchup riding that hot streak. He’s near the top of several league leaderboards: second in game-winning goals (4), tied for third in even-strength goals (13), tied for eighth in total goals (15), and tied for ninth in plus/minus (plus-16).
With Hagel firing on all cylinders and the team continuing to find ways to win without some of their biggest names, the Lightning are proving once again that they’re built for the long haul. Tuesday’s game against the Islanders wraps up a three-game road swing, and with reinforcements slowly making their way back, Tampa Bay might be getting even stronger just as the season starts to heat up.