The Tampa Bay Lightning announced two injuries prior to their game on Saturday night. First, Alex Killorn is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Next, defenceman Braydon Coburn is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.
Injury updates: #TBLightning forward Alex Killorn is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and defenseman Braydon Coburn is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) November 30, 2019
Killorn and Coburn Out With Injuries
The Lightning put out their injury report prior to Saturday night’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Killorn was a last-minute scratch for the Lightning. It is unclear what type of injury or ailment Killorn is dealing with. However, it is serious enough for him to miss warmups against the Hurricanes. Expect another update on Killorn’s status after the contest.
In 23 games this season for the Lightning, Killorn has 17 points (six goals, and 11 assists).
Coburn, on the other hand, suffered his injury Friday night against the Washington Capitals. He was injured early in the first period when his leg got tangled up with Radko Gudas. Coburn fell to the ice sliding into the boards. He went straight to the locker room before returning to test his leg. Unfortunately, Coburn could not finish the game playing only 3:37 against the Capitals.
In 17 games this season with Lightning, Coburn has one goal while averaging 13:40 of ice time.
Looking Ahead
With Killorn and Coburn out of the lineup, the Lightning will have to shift things up dramatically. For the game against Carolina, the Lightning will use 11 forwards and seven defencemen. However, the Lightning caught a break with this injury. Erik Cernak was eligible to return Saturday night after serving a two-game suspension. Cernak took Coburn’s spot in the lineup for at least this game.
Following their game against the Hurricanes, the Lightning hit the road for a quick stop against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. With Coburn set to miss a significant amount of time, the Lightning will likely have to make a call up from their AHL affiliate.
There is a risk for the Lightning playing with 11 forwards. If another forward goes down with an injury the Lightning will be playing with 10 forwards. That is tough especially playing on back-to-back nights.
