TAMPA — Lightning forwards are returning to health, just in time for the postseason.
C Valtteri Filppula came back in Monday night’s 3-0 victory against Toronto while RW Nikita Kucherov and RW Ryan Callahan returned on Thursday after missing time due to unspecified lower-body injuries late in the regular season.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper appreciates the luxury of having a full complement of players up front at this stage of the season.
“Our forward group is finally coming back together,’’ he said.
While the news up front is positive, Tampa Bay defenseman Anton Stralman is still in the early stages of recovering from a fractured left fibula that is expected to sideline him through April.