A couple of player movement notes to pass on to Bolts fans leading up to tomorrow’s game in Pittsburgh and the road-trip conclusion on Tuesday in Newark against the Devils.
First thing first: Sami Salo, knocked out last week with an unidentified lower-body injury will be re-inserted into the Tampa Bay Lightning defense against the Penguins. Salo has missed the latter half of the Lightning’s loss to Buffalo as well as the next two games (against the Rangers and Bruins). What isn’t clear is who among the defensive corps will sit. The Lightning have utilized seven defensemen recently, but that has not paid dividends.
Secondly, Ryan Malone has rejoined the Lightning in his hometown of Pittsburgh, but rejoining the team is one thing. He is not likely to play tomorrow against the Pens per official word from the team. His return to the lineup against the Devils on Tuesday is still a possibility.
The extent of Benoit Pouliot’s injury sustained against the Boston Bruins on Saturday has not been made clear to local reporters following the team, but it’s safe to say he’s out of action indefinitely. The Bolts made a recall from the Syracuse Crunch to make up for the loss to the lineup; Ondrej Palat, who has 11 goals and 33 assists in 49 games for Syracuse, will become the fourth prospect in the Tampa Bay Lightning system to make his NHL debut when he laces them up tomorrow in Pittsburgh. Palat, a 21-year-old left wing, is known for his two-way play; he is a plus-24 for the Crunch and a regular on the team’s penalty kill unit.
