The Tampa Bay Lightning walked away from their outdoor win over the Bruins with more than just two points and a memory-making Stadium Series experience-they also absorbed a tough round of injuries that could have ripple effects far beyond the NHL regular season. With the Olympic break just days away, Tampa Bay’s depth at center is suddenly being tested in a big way.
Head coach Jon Cooper confirmed Tuesday that both Anthony Cirelli and Nick Paul will miss the team’s final two games before the break-Tuesday against the Sabres and Thursday versus the Panthers. That’s a significant blow not just for the Lightning, but for Team Canada as well. Cirelli, originally named to Canada’s Olympic roster, has been ruled out of the Milan Cortina Games and will be replaced by Panthers forward Sam Bennett, according to Hockey Canada.
Cirelli’s injury came late in the first period of Sunday’s game against Boston, when he took a shoulder-to-shoulder hit from Bruins forward Mark Kastelic. It looked like a routine collision in the neutral zone, but Cirelli came up holding his right shoulder and didn’t return.
“It was just an awkward collision,” Cooper said. “He’s gonna be out the next two games, and we’ll just have to evaluate from there.
It’s tough.”
Nick Paul’s injury happened in the final seconds of overtime, while Tampa Bay was on a 4-on-3 power play. He hobbled off the ice with just 10 seconds left, and Cooper didn’t mince words about the impact: “That’s two huge losses for us.”
And the hits keep coming. Despite practicing Saturday and again Tuesday morning, Brayden Point won’t be back before the break either.
He’s still working his way back from what appears to be a right knee injury. Point, like Cirelli, was expected to represent Canada in the upcoming Olympics-the first Winter Games since 2014 to feature NHL players.
Now, both will be sidelined as the team prepares to travel to Italy later this week.
With three of their top centers unavailable, the Lightning are being forced to shuffle the deck. On Sunday, after Cirelli exited, winger Jake Guentzel slid into the middle between Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov.
It’s not unfamiliar territory for Guentzel, and Cooper gave him credit for stepping up: “We’re running low on centers,” he said. “(Guentzel’s) gonna have to slide over, but he’s done it before, and he did a good job there.”
Tampa Bay’s remaining center group now includes veteran Yanni Gourde and young prospects Dominic James and Jack Finley. That’s a lot of responsibility on a group that suddenly finds itself in the spotlight, especially with two key division matchups looming before the Olympic pause.
The Lightning have weathered adversity before, but this stretch will test their depth and resilience. And with the Olympics just around the corner, the timing couldn’t be more challenging-for both Tampa Bay and Team Canada.