The life of a NHL defenseman is not an easy one. People may think goaltenders are nuts for earning a living stopping frozen rubber pucks flung at them at 90-100 miles per hour, but at least they have padding and are usually facing shots. For defenseman , they often find themselves in front of those very same shots with much less padding, sometimes even no padding.
Mikhail Sergachev has blocked a team-leading 69 shots this season, and the most recent one took it’s toll.
In his 22:32 of ice time he logged a goal and an assist. The goal was his first in a Lightning uniform.
Ironically, the last time Fleury played more than 20 minutes in a game was when he was with the Seattle Kraken. On November 26, 2021 he logged 21 minutes in a 3-0 loss to the….Tampa Bay Lightning.
The extent of Sergachev’s injury is not known at this time (nor will the exact injury be known until after he’s healthy because this is the NHL). Unless it’s a major injury that requires a lengthy absence he’ll likely be hit with the “day-to-day” status until he’s ready to go.
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Kucherov scores twice in Lightning victory [Raw Charge]
The Bolts got contributions from just about everybody on the roster as 12 players recorded a point.
Lightning re-assign Sean Day [NHL.com]
It was a quick trip to the NHL for Day as the Lightning sent him to Syracuse on Monday with Victor Hedman healthy and back in action. He might be on the next flight back to Tampa if Mikhail Sergachev isn’t available for action on Thursday.
Holiday Roster Freeze in effect [Chris Johnston’s Twitter]
There will be no trades or waiver action until December 28th. Teams can recall players from the AHL if they need to (as might be the case with the Lightning).
For Hockey Fans Roundtable [For Hockey Fans]
The editors kick around a few different topics including arena locations, social media trends, and dismissed coaches (this was before DJ Smith).
Fired coach DJ Smith leaves Ottawa with head held high [Ottawa Sun]
It was really only a matter of time until Smith was let go. New GMs typically want their own coach so even if he made it through the season, chances are he would have been fired in the summer.
Sitting down with…Goran Stubb [NHL.com]
After 40 years of running a European scouting branch for NHL Central Scouting, Goran Stubb is stepping down. He’s seen them all from Mats Sundin to Alex Ovechkin. Also, his son was a prime minister of Finland which is pretty neat.
Winter Classic TV docuseries an ‘unscripted’ opportunity for Kraken growth [Seattle Times]
Yanni Gourde on “Road to the Winter Classic”? Sign me up. The four-part series will air on TNT and Max. Episode 1 is already streaming. In fact, I’m watching it right now! Sadly, no Liev Schreiber narration.
Gary Bettman answers questions [Dallas Morning News]
The Commissioner answered questions ranging from head shots to expansion in a sit-down with reporters in Dallas.
