About an hour prior to the puck dropping in Anaheim, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that forward Brayden Point and defenseman Victor Hedman would not be in the line-up due to lower-body injuries. Both are considered day-to-day.
While their exact injuries weren’t disclosed, Point was hobbled in the second period of the Lightning’s game against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday when he blocked a shot from Adrian Kempe. He struggled to the bench, but returned to play 20:42, adding an assist on Steven Stamkos’ third-period power-play goal.
There was no notable play involving Hedman that could lead to speculation about his injury, and he played a team-high 24:48 with an assist on the game-tying goal from Stamkos late in the third.
With the Lightning having two days off following the game against Anaheim, it is possible that the team is being cautious with two of their most important players. Conor Sheary returned to the line-up in Point’s absence while Darren Raddysh and Erik Cernak teamed up as the Lightning’s top defensive pair.
