Tampa Bay Lightning F Tyler Johnson Nailed Into Boards By Greg Pateryn (Video)
Tampa Bay Lightning center Tyler Johnson has left the game against the Montreal Canadiens after being nailed into the boards by Canadiens defenseman Greg Pateryn.
The Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t have a whole lot on the line other than their pride as they made their way to the Bell Centre in Montreal to take on the Montreal Canadiens in the final game of the regular season. Unfortunately, the one thing they did have to lose seemed to come into play in a big way tonight. Something that could have a huge impact on the Tampa Bay Lightning’s chances in the 1st round of the playoffs.
Thanks to a rather nasty (and late) hit by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Greg Pateryn, Tampa Bay Lightning center Tyler Johnson was forced to leave the game late in the first period with an Upper Body Injury. As you can imagine, adding yet another name to the injury list, especially one as important and Johnson’s, is the absolute last thing the Tampa Bay Lightning needs as they make their way into the postseason.
Just in case you weren’t able to see everything play out on the ice, allow us to paint the picture for you a little bit. The Tampa Bay Lightning found themselves down 1-0 to the Montreal Canadiens in the early moments of the first period. Tampa Bay Lightning center Tyler Johnson was attempting to make a play behind the Canadiens net when the referee sounded the whistle.
Under normal circumstances, when a player hears the whistle blow, play is halted and everything comes to a stop until the referee announces their intentions. Unfortunately for Johnson, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Greg Pateryn had no intentions of stopping. Johnson had already put on the breaks when Pateryn came in from behind and nailed Tyler Johnson into the boards.
Johnson laid and on the ice in a considerable amount of pain as his linemate Ondrej Palat made a run at Pateryn for the dirty hit on his partner in crime and off-ice friend. Tampa Bay Lightning Head Athletic Train Tom Mulligan made his way to the ice to take a closer look at Johnson. The young Spokane, Washington, native was able to make his way off the ice under his own power, but he was headed directly back to the locker room.
It was announced in the second period that Tyler Johnson would not be returning to tonight’s encounter as it had been determined Johnson had suffered an Upper Body Injury. Another long-term injury is not something the Tampa Bay Lightning can afford as they prepare to face the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are already heading into the series with the potential loss of players like captain Steven Stamkos (Blood Clot), defensemen Anton Stralman (Fractured Fibula) and Victor Hedman (Upper Body Injury), and alternate captain Ryan Callahan (Lower Body Injury). While there is a good chance some of these players may be ready to go when the time comes, it’s still not a position a playoff-bound team wants to find themselves in at the onset of the series.
So far this season, Johnson has played in 68 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In that amount of time, the young forward has scored 14 goals and 24 assists for a total of 38 points. While Johnson has spent more than his fair share of time on the sidelines this season thanks to injury and illness, Johnson is still making the most of the season and not someone the Lightning wants to be without moving forward.
It is unknown at this point what the actual severity of Johnson’s injury is or whether or not he will be ready to go when the time comes. Hopefully, in the days the Lightning will have off before the start of the postseason will give some of the Lightning’s injured players time to heal and make their way back to the lineup before the puck drops to start the playoffs.
Next: Tampa Bay Lightning Clinch Home Ice Advantage
There are a lot of variables in limbo right now to see what the bigger picture actually looks like. We’re sure as we get closer to Game 1, things will start to look a whole lot clearer and we’ll be able to take a closer look at the Lightning’s situation heading into their postseason series with the Detroit Red Wings.