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Stanley Cup Playoffs: Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point good to go for Game 2

By Tasha St. Pierre

TAMPA, FL - APRIL 14: Brayden Point #21 and Ondrej Palat #18 of the Tampa Bay Lightning watch the final seconds of the game from the hallway to the lockeroom during the third period against the New Jersey Devils in Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on April 14, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - APRIL 14: Brayden Point #21 and Ondrej Palat #18 of the Tampa Bay Lightning watch the final seconds of the game from the hallway to the lockeroom during the third period against the New Jersey Devils in Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on April 14, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point are expected to play in Game 2 against the Boston Bruins after missing practice yesterday.

The Tampa Bay Lightning had a bit of a rough night when they took on the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of Round 2 on Saturday afternoon. While the score was definitely a punch to the gut for many fans here in the Bolts Nation, there were a couple of players who were a little worse for wear after the contest.

Lightning forwards Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point were both absent from yesterday’s practice. Considering the way Game 1 played out, this was cause for concern for many Lightning fans. Thankfully, Coach Jon Cooper quickly gave the Bolts Nation a little reassurance.

Coach Cooper said both players were taking body-maintenance days and reassured Bolts fans “They’ll be fine.” Of course, many of us here in the Bolts Nation have heard this more than once and ended up being severely disappointed. The good news is, this doesn’t seem to be the case in this particular scenario.

Coach Cooper announced this morning that both Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point are good to go and are expected to play tonight in Game 2 against the Bruins. This is definitely music to the ears of Bolts fans.

As some Lightning fans may know by now, Brayden Point was on the receiving end of a rather nasty cross-check at the hands of none other than Boston’s resident goon Brad Marchand. It should come as no surprise to anyone who has witnessed the NHL’s officiating “brilliance” this season there was no call made on the play.

Point was clearly shaken up on the play, being attended to on the bench by Lightning Head Athletic Trainer Tom Mulligan. Point was able to remain in the game, but this doesn’t mean he wasn’t still feeling the effects of the cross-check from Marchand.

Thankfully, a day away from the ice seemingly did the trick and he, along with Palat, are ready to get back down to business tonight as the Lightning looks to rebound against the Bruins. Unfortunately, this will not be without their fair share of adversity.

The Bruins are a very physical team, as can be noted by just about any game the Lightning has played against them this season. Also, the B’s have an incredibly skilled top line. This means the Bolts defense is going to have to not only be prepared to lay down some hard hits but work overtime to shut down the top line.

The Lightning is generally strong when it comes to getting back into the game after a particularly tough loss. Hopefully, Game 2 will be no different. The Lightning needs a solid win tonight to shift momentum before the series heads to the TD Garden in Boston for Games 3 and 4.

Next: Crunch sweep Americans in Round 1 of Calder Cup Playoffs

The puck is set to drop at 7:00 p.m. tonight from the Amalie Arena in the heart of beautiful Downtown Tampa. The Tampa Bay Lightning is going to need their Thunder if they want to overcome the big, bad Bruins tonight. It’s time for everyone here in the Bolts Nation to bring their ‘A’ game and show them how it’s done!

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