The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning have a heated rivalry. That was shown late in Game 4 of their playoff series, when Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev went down the tunnel with injuries. Both plays could be considered borderline, especially the Kucherov situation. The Lightning were also leading the game by a score of 6-2 at the time.
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Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev Injured in Game 4
With 9:03 remaining in regulation, with the score being six to two Tampa Bay, the Lightning were on a power play. While breaking out, Kucherov slid the puck across the ice. Moments after he passed the puck, Anthony Duclair skated by and slashed Kucherov on the side of his left knee. Kucherov dropped to the ice and remained down for several seconds. The trainer went to check on his status, and Kucherov needed help to get up and off the ice. He went down the tunnel.
For Sergachev, once again being in the defensive zone, he too was looking to clear. Patric Hornqvist, who came from Sergachev’s blindside, hit him hard near the boards. Sergachev was off balance before the hit, leading him to get knocked down harder and easier. Being near the boards, he crashed hard shoulder first, with his head also making contact with the boards. There was no penalty on the play. Sergachev also needed help getting to his feet and off the ice, heading immediately down the tunnel.
What This Means Moving Forward
Nikita Kucherov had a four-point net ahead of getting injured in Game 4 of the series. Coming into the game, he had two goals and three assists for five points. With the night he had, his totals improved to three goals and six assists for nine points in the four playoff games. Kucherov, who was injured for the entirety of the 2020-21 regular season, had a surprisingly quick impact. His presence, especially on the power play, will be sorely missed if he is forced to miss any subsequent games.
As for Sergachev, he hasn’t produced much offensively. In fact, he recorded his first point of the series in Game 4 with a secondary assist on Yanni Gourde’s goal about halfway through the first period to make the score two to nothing over Florida. However, he has been a physical presence for the Lightning, bringing the intensity to the ice. He has also been a reliable defensive presence for the defending Cup champions, and he would also be a massive loss for the Lightning if he had to miss future contests.
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