The Tampa Bay Lightning got a little scare earlier this week when defenseman Erik Cernak left a game early after blocking a shot off his foot. We feared he might miss some time after that, but he returned in the next game. He was scratched again for Thursday night’s game in Chicago because of an upper body injury sustained against the Dallas Stars. Cernak returned for Friday's game, but fellow right-side defenseman Jan Rutta missed the game with a lower-body injury.
Without a doubt, Cernak is the best right handed defenseman the Lightning have in the organization, especially after the departure of Kevin Shattenkirk this offseason.