A few different Lightning storylines came out of Tuesday, and the biggest one off the ice was Jon Cooper’s annual fishing tournament. Coop’s Catch for Kids wrapped its ninth edition yesterday and brought in $500,000 for pediatric cancer research.
That pushes the event past $2 million raised overall for cancer research, and while the day was clearly built around fun, there were still trophies handed out. No official word on the biggest fish, but it did look like Yanni Gourde has been making good use of his rehab time.
On the injury front, the Lightning had to work around a pair of banged-up regulars from the recent western trip. Zemgus Girgensons and Victor Hedman both picked up injuries, with Hedman sitting out the last game in Utah and Girgensons leaving the Mammoth game with an apparent lower-body issue. Neither sounds like a long-term concern, and there’s a chance one or both are back Thursday against Winnipeg.
Tuesday’s practice also offered a clue about the team’s next uniform reveal. The Lightning kept their usual practice sweaters on, but the pants and helmets were a different shade of blue, which has fueled speculation that these are tied to the soon-to-be-announced Hometown Remix jerseys.
The actual design hasn’t leaked yet, which is more than can be said for a lot of jersey launches around the league. Eddie Encina also reported that the Bolts have officially retired their black alternate jerseys.
There was one more milestone lingering in the background: Nikita Kucherov’s rise to the top of the franchise points list. The expectation is that he’ll be honored before Thursday’s game in Tampa, his first home appearance since becoming the franchise leader. Benjamin Pierce wrote a piece for the team site on Kucherov’s time with the Lightning, and fans looking to mark the moment can also grab a puck from the Tampa Bay Sports Store.
Elsewhere around the league, Carolina and Boston met in a heavyweight matchup in Raleigh, and the Hurricanes came out with the 2-1 win. Carolina controlled the night territorially, outshooting Boston 30-15, but the Bruins stayed alive behind strong goaltending until Sebastian Aho broke the tie midway through the third period. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 14 of 15 shots and moved to 8-0 on the season.
Dallas also saw a debut in net, with newly acquired goaltender Connor Hellebuyck making his first appearance for the New Jersey Devils. He allowed one goal on 17 shots, and New Jersey responded with a 5-1 win. In Pittsburgh, forward Ben Kindel returned to practice after a frightening health scare on the team plane leaving Salt Lake City last week, and he’s hoping to get back into game action this weekend.
The defending champs added a familiar face back into the fold as Alexander Nikishin signed a one-year, $3 million deal. Nikishin played 81 games for Carolina last season and set a franchise record for goals by a defenseman with 11. He had requested a trade in the offseason after the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement.
The NHL also announced a “Monday Night Hockey” initiative aimed at expanding the league’s European audience by moving some U.S. games into a 7 or 8 p.m. broadcast window overseas. The first scheduled game is November 30, when Nashville hosts Ottawa at 1 p.m.
ET. Tampa Bay’s date is on March 15, when the Lightning visit the Capitals at Capital One Arena.
In Other News...
Lightning Return With One Big Lineup Issue Fans Will Be Watching
A five-day break has given the Lightning a rare pause before they return to the ice against the Winnipeg Jets, their longest stretch between games this season outside the All-Star break. It also gives the team a little extra time to sort through a forward group that suddenly has a few moving parts, with Brandon Hagel dealing with an injury and Zemgus Girgensons also on the report as Tampa Bay eases back into action.
Yanni Gourdes situation is one more item worth watching. The center is continuing his recovery from hip surgery and has been practicing in a top-six role, a sign his comeback is moving faster than originally expected. For a Lightning team trying to reestablish its rhythm after the layoff, his progress adds another layer to the lineup picture as Thursday approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Depth Is Driving This Start In A Way Fans Notice
Through the first 11 games, the Lightning have given themselves a steadier early-season platform than they had a year ago, and a big part of that has been the kind of depth production that usually decides whether a team can keep pace once the schedule tightens. Pontus Holmberg and Charle-Edouard D'Astous have added offense in useful spots, while Zemgus Girgensons has quietly helped the bottom of the lineup hold up its end.
For Tampa Bay, the encouraging part is how those contributions are coming alongside the usual top-end talent rather than depending on it. Holmberg has brought a timely scoring touch, D'Astous has looked like a player who can add more than just minutes, and Girgensons has given the coaching staff a more reliable defensive presence. If the Lightning keep getting that kind of support across the roster, the early record starts to look less like a hot start and more like a foundation. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Suddenly Face Another Lineup Test Up Front
The Lightnings forward depth is getting tested again at just the wrong time, with another layer of uncertainty hanging over the lineup as they prepare for Thursday. Injuries around the league keep shifting rosters, but Tampa Bays immediate concern is more local, because the team is already working around absences up front while trying to keep its rhythm intact in a tight part of the schedule.
Zemgus Girgensons is unavailable after getting hurt against Utah, and Brandon Hagels status wont be settled until game time because of an undisclosed injury. For a team that leans heavily on its forward depth and relies on chemistry through all four lines, that leaves the Lightning waiting on one more piece before they know exactly what they can ice. [Read more 🡒]