Hits just keep on coming to battered Lightning forward group

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
December 29, 2016

TAMPA, Fla. – Sometimes you have to bang your head against the wall to keep from going off the wall.

But with the case of the Lightning, if that happened, it would send somebody to injured reserve and keep them out of the lineup for a significant amount. That’s how hard Tampa Bay has been hit by the injury bug this season.

And the hits just keep on coming.

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Brayden Point is the latest to feel the effect as the team announced on Thursday that Point will miss 4-6 weeks with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Point was unable to finish Wednesday’s game against Montreal after taking a shot his own teammate on a power play midway through the third period, though he did stay in the game and picked up an assist on Ondrej Palat’s game-tying goals.

Given the time frame, Point likely suffered a fracture of a bone.

“It just fits in with everything that is going on with us,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “Just when you think you are taking steps to get healthier you take two steps back.”

Tampa Bay also lost Vladislav Namestnikov in the game against Montreal after he was hit by Shea Weber in to the side boards in the third period and did not return. The team said Namestnikov is day-to-day with an undisclosed upper-body injury while Cedric Paquette will miss his third consecutive game with an undisclosed lower body injury.

The Lightning once again had to call up the minor league team and brought up Erik Condra and Yanni Gourde from Syracuse of the American Hockey League. Both are expected to arrive in town before the game after the Crunch faced Hershey at home last night.

All the injuries suffered by the Lightning this season has taken a toll on the Crunch, who are without Tye McGinn, Jeremy Morin, Henrik Ikonen and Joel Vermin, leaving Syracuse shorthanded as well.

“I remember back when Tampa went through injuries and we were in Norfolk, it’s trying when that happens,” Cooper said of the farm club feeding the parent club. “But it also helped me deal with situations that are happening now in the sense that when players go down you know it’s not the end of the world and there are guys here to fill their shoes. But I know it’s tough on the Syracuse guys because they have a really good thing going down there, but every time players get brought up, other guys fill their shoes and it’s kind of a door opening for them. So it’s opportunity every time somebody gets hurt, you just feel bad for the guys who are getting hurt.

For Point, it’s a blow to what has been a strong rookie season with three goals and 15 points in 36 games. After starting the season on the wing, Point had been put at his natural position of center of late and picked it up quickly. His absence will be noticed.

“You feel for Pointer who was just coming in to his own,” Cooper said. “We moved him to the middle, he’s just starting to get a feel for the league and you’d hard pressed to say he wasn’t our best forward in the past eight to 10 games with everybody out. So he’s going to be missed, out a minimum of a month. Not only does it hurt our team, but for his rookie year he’s been outstanding for us.”

Video: Jon Cooper addressing the Point injury

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