You kind of have to hand it to the Tampa Bay Lightning. At this point they are going out of their way to introduce a little adversity into their recent seasons. In 2019-20 it was overcoming the humiliation of getting swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the previous year’s playoffs and dealing with The Bubble. In 2020-21 it was a shortened season, COVID-19 protocols, and a regular season without Nikita Kucherov. This year it’s injuries. Not only is Kucherov out, but also defensive stalwart Erik Cernak. Depth defenseman Zach Bogosian also missed a large chunk of the season with an injury.
Lightning Round: Brayden Point out indefinately
