Tampa Bay Lightning forward Cedric Paquette will be returning to the Lightning lineup as they take on the Nashville Predators.
The Tampa Bay Lightning hasn’t had much luck this season when it comes to injuries. In fact, the final portion of 2016 was probably one of the worst times the team has experienced in quite some time in the injury department. Fortunately, 2016 is now a thing of the past.
As the Lightning prepare to take on the Nashville Predators in the final game of their five-game homestand, the team found out they’d be getting another of their players back in the lineup. This time, it’s Lightning forward Cedric Paquette who will be rejoining his teammates on the ice.
According to Tampa Bay Lightning Beat Writer Bryan Burns, it was Lightning Coach Jon Cooper who announced Paquette’s return earlier today. This is definitely good news for a Tampa Bay Lightning who spent much of last year losing more players than they were getting back.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Paquette has played in a total of 31 games with the Lightning so far this season. In that amount of time, Paquette has brought home three goals and four assists for a grand total of seven points. What Cedric Paquette lacks on the scoresheet, he makes up for in utility.
You see…Cedric Paquette is the kind of player every team hates to go up against. In addition to moving the puck up and down the ice, Paquette is skilled in breaking up plays and generally being a thorn in the side of his opponents.
Oh…and he’s rather skilled at the shenanigans that go down once the gloves come off.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have a lot of work in front of them right now. The first half of the season hasn’t been kind to the Lightning and if the team has any hopes of continuing to play once the second week of April rolls around, they are going to have to find some sort of consistency, and quickly.
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One of the first steps to achieving their goal is to get healthy. Cedric Paquette back in the lineup makes two weeks in a row where players have returned to the lineup. If things continue on their current trend, we may start to see glimmers of the Tampa Bay Lightning team we have come to know and love.