On Tuesday, Tampa Bay's title defense was dealt a major blow, with Brayden Point's upper-body injury ruling him out for four to six weeks. He picked up the injury during the third period of Saturday's home loss to the New Jersey Devils.
Point injured in game against Devils
Point crashed hard into the end boards after a Devils player tripped him. He was seen favoring his left shoulder/arm area following that incident. The Lightning got a penalty because of that infraction, with Point's attempt bouncing off the crossbar after it hit the shoulder of New Jersey goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood.
Point was able to finish that contest, which ended 5-3 in favor of New Jersey. He has been playing some lights-out hockey for the Lightning, recording seven goals and 13 points thus far this season. Point also played an integral role in Tampa Bay's title win last season, scoring an NHL-best 14 goals during the 2020-21 playoffs.
Tampa Bay will sorely miss Point, who is averaging 20 minutes on the ice this season. Those minutes are top-line as well, making him a tough player to replace. Point's injury could not have come at a worse time for the Lightning, who are already missing the services of star right wing Nikita Kucherov.
Kucherov underwent a procedure back in late October for an unspecified lower-body injury that he suffered in a game against the Washington Capitals. Kucherov has missed 15 games since his surgery and is expected to miss another four to six weeks. According to the latest reports, Kucherov has not resumed skating yet.
Kucherov and Point are on similar timelines to return, with Christmas Day a possible target date for both star players. One guy who is expected to carry the scoring cudgels for Tampa Bay is Steven Stamkos. In their absence, he stepped up big time, recording three primary points in Tampa Bay's 4-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
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Stamkos inserted into Tampa Bay's top line after Point's injury
With Point sidelined, Stamkos has been assigned to play in Tampa Bay's top line at the moment. Zach Bogosian also starred in the Lightning's win over the Flyers, scoring the opener and bagging an assist. Fellow veteran Corey Perry managed to end his scoring drought, grabbing his first goal of the season in the rout.
Andrei Vasilevskiy also starred in that one-sided win, recording 34 saves to earn his first shutout win of the season. He now has 27 shutout games in his career, extending his franchise record with Tampa Bay.
It is vital for the Lightning that their other players step up in the next couple of months to sustain their hot start to the season. Even without Kucherov, Tampa Bay has managed to post an 11-4-3 record in its first 18 games.
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