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The Tampa Bay Lightning have been without the services of Erik Cernak since Game 1 of their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was injured after a dirty elbow to the head from Leafs forward Michael Bunting, who was suspended for the subsequent three games.
And according to head coach Jon Cooper, the Lightning will have to make do without him for tomorrow night’s Game 6 at Amalie Arena.
The Tampa Bay Lightning might have won Game 1 of the first round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, they still lost big. On Wednesday, head coach Jon Cooper announced that Erik Cernak and Michael Eysimmont will not play Game 2. He added that Cictor Hedman is a game-time decision and Tanner Jeannot is a possibility, per insider Elliotte Friedman.
Jeannot returned to practice and took line rushes with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Corey Perry. He has been out of the lineup since April 5 when he got tangled up with New York Islanders blue liner Scott Mayfield and fell awkwardly on his right leg.
“Feeling really good. Just gotta wait and see I guess, but everything’s feeling really well and the trainers did a great job and I’m feeling good on the ice,” Jeannot commented after practice.
Cernak was injured in Game 1 by Leafs forward Michael Bunting, who was assessed a match penalty after making contact with the Lightnin’s defenseman’s head. Cernak laid down on the ice before he was assisted in leaving the game. He did not return.
The Maple Leafs host the Bolts for Game 2 on Thursday night in Toronto. Tampa Bay leads the first-round series 1-0.
More to come as the story develops.
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