The Tampa Bay Lightning have missed three injured players on their last game against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. Defenceman Anton Stralman has been out with a lower-body injury for the past two games. Defenceman Dan Girardi and forward Adam Erne both missed the practice on Saturday and are listed as day-to-day. Among other moves, the Lightning called up defenceman Jan Rutta from Syracuse in the AHL.
Tampa Bay Lightning Missing Three Injured Players
The Lightning had missed defencemen Girardi and Stralman alongside forward Erne in their win versus the Red Wings. Anton Stralman has been out of the lineup for Tampa Bay in their last two games. The Swedish veteran defenceman has played in 45 games with the Lightning during the current season. He has collected two goals and 15 assists for 17 points.
Dan Girardi is dealing with a lower-body injury. The 34-year-old blueliner has played in 61 games with the Bolts over the current campaign collecting four goals and 11 assists for 16 points. Both Stralman and Girardi are former New York Rangers defencemen and both will become unrestricted free agents in the summer.
Forward Adam Erne has skated in 53 games for the Lightning this season. The 23-year-old winger recorded seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points. He has been nursing an upper-body injury. Erne will become a restricted free agent in the offseason.
Injury Bug Nothing to Worry About For Tampa Bay Lightning
The recent injury bug is nothing to worry about for the Tampa Bay Lightning. On Friday, the Bolts clinched a playoff spot. With 108 points, they seem like a sure bet to claim the Presidents’ Trophy for the highest ranking regular season team in the NHL.
With the injuries on their back-end, the Lightning recalled defenceman Jan Rutta. The Czech blueliner had been acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this season. He has yet to play a game with the Lightning in the NHL. In a game against Detroit, Rutta played on the third defensive pair with Braydon Coburn. Ryan Callahan took Erne’s spot on the fourth line for head coach Jon Cooper.
