Ondrej Palat Ready To Rejoin The Tampa Bay Lightning Lineup

The Tampa Bay Lightning got some incredibly good news today as it is announced that recently injured left wing Ondrej Palat is ready to rejoin the Lightning lineup.

The Tampa Bay Lightning is getting ready to face down not only an original six team in the National Hockey League, but an Atlantic Division rival tonight as the Lightning play host to the Detroit Red Wings in game number three of a six game home stand.

The good news is that tonight’s game is going to be slightly different than the last few games the Bolts have played. In fact, the Lightning will be getting back one of the key components to the team’s success this season.

Tampa Bay Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper spoke to the media this morning following the team’s morning skate, and he informed the media that the recently injured Ondrej Palat would be “good to go” against the Detroit Red Wings tonight.

Some people may find themselves underestimating what a big deal something like this is, but Coach Cooper was able to put all of that in perspective for everyone.

"“He [Palat] plays in the Power Play, he plays in the penalty kill, he plays on the Triplet Line, he’s on there at the end of the game when you’re up a goal, you’re down a goal; in almost every situation, he’s on the ice.” Cooper told the media. “You pull somebody like that out of the lineup, you’re not just putting one guy back into that spot, you’re putting a bunch of different guys.”"

Cooper pulls his entire statement together with one small statement that means so very much.

"“He makes that line work, so getting him back is big for us.”"

Indeed it is, Coach Cooper, indeed it is. So far this season, Palat has taken the ice in 64 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, in which time he has scored 15 goals and 37 assists for a total of 52 points to accompany a plus/minus record of plus-28.

Palat, along with his Triplet linemates Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov, finds themselves as three of the top five players in the National Hockey League in regards to plus-minus.

Palat seems just as excited to return to the ice as we are to have him back on the ice. Palat briefly spoke to the media this morning much like Coach Cooper had. Palat spoke highly of the way that his teammates played in his absence.

When asked if he would have any limitations upon his return, he was quick to shut that down and express his excitement to get back out on the ice and back into the swing of things.

"“No. No, not really. I wouldn’t play if there would be some limitation.” Palat said. “I think I’m 100% ready and I can’t wait.”"

We don’t know about you, but we are just as excited (if not more) as Palat is for him to hit the ice once again. As Coach Cooper said previously, Palat is such a big part of the chemistry that makes the Triplet line work in the manner in which it does.

Also, Palat plays in so many different situations on the ice that it is near impossible to find a player that can wear all of Palat’s hats at the same time.

This is not to say that players like Jonathan Drouin and Vladislav Namestnikov, who had been filling in for Palat on the Triplet line since Palat’s injury, have not been performing well, but there are just some things you cannot put a price on, and Palat’s importance to the Lightning lineup is one of those things.

What do you think about Palat returning to the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup against the Detroit Red Wings? What kind of an impact do you think this will have on the outcome of tonight’s game? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Don’t forget! The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. ET. Click here for a look at all the information you’ll need to make sure you don’t miss a moment of the action tonight as the Tampa Bay Lightning takes on the Detroit Red Wings at the Amalie Arena tonight.

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