Lightning’s Hedman will be ‘an option really soon,’ but will miss Game 6
The Tampa Bay Lightning may not have to wait too much longer to get their captain back on the ice. That is, if they can keep their season alive.
Speaking with reporters, including Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, ahead of a do-or-die Game 6 in Montreal on Friday night, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper ruled star defenseman Victor Hedman out for the game, but added that Hedman is “going to be an option really soon.”
Jon Cooper on Victor Hedman: “He’s going to be an option really soon.” But Cooper says Hedman will not play tonight.
Hedman left the team in March for personal reasons, and he has not made an appearance in a game since a 6-2 win over Vancouver on March 19.
The captain’s absence has hung over Tampa Bay for most of the series, and Cooper has addressed his timeline to return on multiple occasions. After Game 1, he deemed it “doubtful” that Hedman would be able to play in this series, though Hedman has been skating with the team.
The imposing Swede played in only 33 games this regular season, scoring a goal and dishing out 16 assists for 17 points while skating to a minus-1 rating on an average of 18:52 of time on ice per game.
The Lightning defense has been up to the task of keeping the Canadiens’ high-flying offensive attack somewhat in check, but it hasn’t been enough to take command of the series.
After coming up with a clutch win to even the series in Game 4 at Bell Centre, the Bolts dropped Game 5 on home ice as star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed a weak game-winning goal and a furious push for an equalizer fell short.
Since winning the 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cups and falling in the 2022 Cup Final, Tampa Bay has not won a single playoff series. The Bolts were heavily favored to change that in this series, and if they can keep their season alive on Friday night, they could give their captain an opportunity to play a part in snapping that drought in a potential Game 7 back at home.