Prior to their game against the Buffalo Sabres, Coach Jon Cooper was asked about the possibility of Brandon Hagel or Scott Sabourin, two forwards who had missed the past few matches with injuries, playing against the Sabres. He finished his answer (Hagel no, Sabourin maybe) with, “You want to make sure your guys are healthy.”
Sabourin did indeed play in the 4-2 loss to Buffalo, but the Lightning left the game less healthy than they started it. Prior to the game, the team announced that Anthony Cirelli was out with a “day-to-day” injury. During the game, Brayden Point missed a portion of the first period after a collision with the goalpost sent him to the training room. He would return in the second period, but later in the game, the Lightning lost another forward, and based on the way he clutched at his left shoulder/collarbone area, it looks like it could be serious.
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As the clip shows, after a small collision with Sabres’ forward Peyton Krebs, Holmberg lost his edge and crashed into the boards shoulder first. It appeared that the penalty box door was unlatched as a penalty to Zach Benson was about to expire. Coach Cooper was unhappy about that,
“I don’t know who is working the penalty box, but I don’t know if they should keep their job after what happened there, leaving the door open there. That could have hurt anybody on either team, and those are just dangerous situations.”
The Tampa Bay Times reported that the league is “looking into it” in regard to the situation. Holmberg’s status was reported a “not good” according to Coach Cooper after the game.
Should the 27-year-old miss any significant time, it would be a huge blow to what has become the Lightning’s most dependable line. After starting the season centering the fourth line, Holmberg was moved to the wing on the third line with Zemgus Girgensions, centered by Yanni Gourde. Since being formed, it’s been Coach Cooper’s most used line with their 614:31 of ice time almost doubling the second-most used trio of Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, and Nikita Kucherov (314:33).
Their offensive output might not be elite (the Lightning have scored 18 goals when they’ve been on the ice together) but they have dominated opponents in terms of possession with a 57.41% edge in scoring chances and 60.85% advantage in high-danger chances. They forecheck well, they force turnovers, and they set up the other lines for success. Whenever the game is skittering off track, Coach Cooper tends to throw them out there to change the momentum.
Holmberg has been a big part of their production. After a somewhat quiet offensive start to the season he’s found his game, setting career highs in goals (11) and points (22) while averaging 13:25 of ice time.
He helps the Lightning generate more offense when he’s on the ice and he lowers the opponent’s chances in the defensive zone. That’s exactly what a coach needs out of a bottom-six forward.
Affectionally known as “The Backpack”, a nickname coined by his linemate Gourde due to his ability to protect the puck while shielding off opponents, Holmberg has been adept at getting the puck from one zone to the next. He’s one of the best forwards in terms of exiting the puck from the defensive zone, and he is the primary carrier of the puck when the Gourde line enters the zone. He’s also quick on dump-ins and helps that line set up the cycle that they like to use to dominate offensive zone time.
This is the prototypical Gourde line goal. Gourde and Holmberg fight for the puck behind the net and force the Flames to move it quicker than they want. Girgensons rotates back to cover the point after Charle-Edouard D’Astous makes a nice read to come in and pressure the puck carrier. Gourde wins it back and passes out in front to where Holmberg has a clean shot at the net,
With them already dealing with injuries among the forward spots, Coach Cooper will have to figure out how to replace Holmberg, who has appeared in 70 games this season. Following the injury, Gourde centered a line with Gage Goncalves and Oliver Bjorkstrand to finish the game, and it is possible that the Lightning completely re-swizzle things, especially against Ottawa as they finish up the back-to-back.
Due to the injuries up front, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them go with an 11/7 rotation against the Senators as they figure out how to deal with their sudden lack of forward depth. It is possible that, if Holmberg is out long term, they dip into their recall bucket and bring someone up from Syracuse. Jakob Pelletier, who has been up and down a few times this year, would be a prime candidate. The recent free agent signing is on an absolute heater with the Crunch, leading the league in points with 75 while tying Mark Hantigan’s franchise record 18-game point streak.
[Update]
Or, they could wait until five minutes after we post this and then announce that they’ve recalled Conor Geekie and Dylan Duke.
[End Update]
[Update Part II]
Looks like Pelletier has been recalled as well. Mitchell Chaffee re-assigned to Syracuse.
[End Update Par II]
Losing a key depth player this close to the end of the regular season is a tough hit for the Lightning, who are focused on getting their game into playoff shape. There is some similarity to the last two post-season runs when center Luke Glendening was injured in April and his effectiveness was limited in the playoffs. Hopefully, Holmberg’s injury isn’t as severe, and he can be ready when the madness begins in ten days.
