Lightning star defenseman to miss Game 2

Mark Masters of TSN reports that All-Star defenseman Victor Hedman will not dress in Game 2, as the Tampa Bay Lightning look to take a commanding lead against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In now the 10th playoff stretch throughout his career, this will only be the third game that Hedman has ever missed in the quest for Lord Stanley.

During the Lightning’s dominating win against the Maple Leafs Tuesday night, Hedman would only see the ice for about six-and-a-half minutes, before leaving the rest of the game with an undisclosed injury. It appears the injury is substantial, as he will not be skating for the team in Game 2, and defenseman Haydn Fleury will take his place in the lineup.

Although Hedman would play only a handful of minutes, it did not appear to affect the Lightning all that much. However, with the potent offense of the Maple Leafs staring them down, Hedman is a major piece to be missing for Tampa Bay. A winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Hedman is one of the better playoff performers of the past decade.

On the other side of the puck, the Maple Leafs now have an even better opportunity to knock off the three-time defending Eastern Conference Champions. As Game 2 gets underway shortly, and putting aside the surefire game one victory, the Lightning will have an uphill battle without one of their top players in the lineup.