The Lightning are about to get a major boost back on the blue line, and the timing lines up neatly with a key matchup against Winnipeg on Thursday night.
Victor Hedman is set to return for Tampa Bay, and Brandon Hagel will also be available after his status for this game had been uncertain. Hedman, the veteran defenseman and franchise mainstay, has missed time but now rejoins the lineup as the Bolts face the Jets.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft has produced 4 points in 10 games this season and carries a plus-5 rating while averaging 13:35 of ice time per night. With J.J. Moser, Ryan McDonagh, John Carlson and Erik Cernak all in the mix, Tampa Bay has been able to keep Hedman’s workload in check during his age-35 season.
Hagel’s presence helps preserve one of Jon Cooper’s preferred lineup setups, as the Lightning are expected to go with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen. That also means Zemgus Girgensons will sit out; he is day-to-day.
Tampa Bay has again looked like a team that belongs near the top of the Eastern Conference, but the standings tell a slightly different story because the Lightning have played fewer games than their Atlantic Division rivals. They’re sixth in the division by points, though second by points percentage.
The recent results have not been as clean. The Lightning have lost their last two games heading into Winnipeg’s visit, while the Jets arrive after a rough stretch of their own, having dropped six straight after a strong start to the season.
In Other News...
Moose Suddenly Face A Scoring Concern Fans Can't Ignore
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Manitoba still managed to outshoot Milwaukee, but the finishing touch was missing and the power play never found a way to break through. After opening the season with a strong record, the Moose are suddenly facing a scoring concern that is hard to overlook, especially with chances piling up and the goals not following. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Fans Have New Reasons To Watch The Moose Right Now
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Thomas Milics recent milestone only adds to the appeal of watching this group closely, especially for Jets fans tracking the organizations next wave of depth. The Moose have had some encouraging individual developments lately, and this stretch on the road gives them another chance to show how those pieces fit together as the season winds down. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Road Trip Could Force Changes Fans Have Been Dreading
The Jets are heading into a road trip that asks plenty of questions before they even leave the starting line, beginning with a stop in Tampa Bay against a Lightning team that has yet to lose at home. It is the kind of stretch that can expose flaws quickly, especially for a Winnipeg club that has been searching for answers and watching the pressure build on the details that tend to decide games in tight stretches.
There is at least some encouraging news in the organizations pipeline, with goalie prospect Samuel Hrenk turning in strong work in his league and forward Jacob Cloutier also drawing notice for his play. But the bigger conversation around the Jets has shifted to what changes might be coming, and a recent Winnipeg Free Press look at possible fixes has only sharpened the sense that this trip could force the team to confront issues it has been able to skate around until now. [Read more 🡒]