TORONTO – Tampa Bay Lightning star defender Victor Hedman left the team’s round finale on Saturday night after revealing that he had his right ankle wrapped in the middle of the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers.
After the 4-1 loss that secured the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference for the Lightning, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper had no update on Hedman’s status or how much time he might be missing, although he acknowledged that his potential loss would make a notable gap in the lineup of the Lightning.
“It’s a little frustrating because we feel like we’re going in the right direction and losing some of the star power we have, ” Cooper said, noting Lightning are also without captain Steven Stamkos and played Saturday minus Hedman’s defensive partner Jan Rutta. “We have to surround the wagons.”
Hedman fell unscathed as he ran to skate to the blue line of Tampa Bay with the Flyers’ Tyler Pitlick riding up the right flank. The winner of the 2017 NHL Norris Trophy slowly stood up and broke his stick as he walked under the tunnel to the locker room.
Stamkos still has to play after maintaining a lower body injury before starting training camp last month.
The Lightning, last season’s No. 1 seed in the East, will play Columbus as Toronto in the first round. The Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs will play a decisive Game 5 on Sunday to close out the qualifying match.
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