The Tampa Bay Lightning are beaten up on the injury front, and the team suffered a brief scare when Vladislav Namestnikov left Tuesday’s game against the New York Rangers.
Late in the first period, Namestnikov took a cheap shot from Tanner Glass at centre ice while he was standing at the red line. The Rangers forward was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for interference.
The Lightning forward eventually returned to the game.
The Lightning are already without forward Steven Stamkos, out 1-3 months with a blood clot, while defenceman Victor Hedman sat out Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury, captain Ryan Callahan is nursing a lower-body injury and defenceman Anton Stralman is out indefinitely with a fractured leg.
Lightning forward Alex Killorn also took a high stick to the face earlier in the game and went into the locker room to be looked at.
Entering Tuesday’s action, Namestnikov has 14 goals, 19 assists in 77 games with Tampa Bay this season.