Tampa Bay Lightning Injury Update: Dan Girardi feeling better, but not ready to return

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Dan Girardi has been out of action since January 7, when he took a nasty-looking puck to the head from Detroit Red Wings forward Martin Frk.

The Tampa Bay Lightning is no stranger to injuries. In fact, the Boys in Blue have had seasons defined by their injuries in the past. As much as the team has “gotten used to” having players missing from their lineup, it doesn’t mean the team doesn’t feel the sting when a player goes down with an injury.

One of the latest players to feel said sting (no pun intended) was Lightning defenseman, Dan Girardi. On Jan. 7, the Tampa Bay Lightning was taking on their Atlantic Division rivals, the Detroit Red Wings. Things were going well for the Bolts through the halfway point in the second period.

Unfortunately, this is when things took a decided turn for the worse. The play was in the Lightning’s defensive zone and Girardi was in place ready to make the stop. The bad news is, he didn’t make the stop with his stick. After Red Wings forward Martin Frk fired off his shot, the puck hit Girardi squarely in the back of the neck.

As Girardi lay motionless on the ice, the crowd went eerily silent. Eventually, Girardi was able to make it to his skates, but he needed assistance making his way off the ice. Needless to say, everyone here in the Bolts Nation was worried about his condition. Headshots are nothing to play with.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The good news is, all of his tests came back negative so there shouldn’t be any long-term ramifications stemming from the incident. Regrettably, Girardi isn’t quite ready to retake the ice with his teammates.

According to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, Girardi said he is feeling better after the incident, but the team is going to take the bye week before making his return. While this may seem like a bad thing, it is actually a really good thing. Allow us to explain.

As much as fans, and more than likely the team as well, would like to have their player back out on the ice, the absolute last thing either party wants is for said player to return to the ice before they are fully recovered. Not only does this negatively impact their playing ability, but could have serious, long-term effects on their health.

After tonight’s matchup with the Calgary Flames, the Lightning will have a full week off before they have to take on their next opponent, the Vegas Golden Knights. This will be the second time in history these two teams will meet at the center of the ice and the first time this will be happening at the Amalie Arena in Tampa.

Things didn’t go so well for the Bolts when they made the trip to Sin City. Hopefully, the Lightning has had an opportunity to look back on those mistakes and leave them right where they are…in the past. The Tampa Bay Lightning continues to lead the league in points, but the Golden Knights are right there on their heels.

Next: Dan Girardi Leaves Game After Taking Puck to the Head

Getting a hard-working player like Dan Girardi back in the lineup against a team like the Golden Knights would definitely be a bonus for the Bolts. Here’s hoping his recovery stays on track and is able to make his return once the Lightning’s bye week has come to a close.