Why are Victor Hedman and Brayden Point not playing tonight? Tampa Bay Lightning vs Anaheim Ducks
Victor Hedman and Brayden Point, both of the Tampa Bay Lightning will not be playing against the Anaheim Ducks in the Sunday night affair between the two teams.
The tweet that the Lightning had posted earlier in the day excluded both players from today's game.
Hedman and Point are suffering from lower-body injuries, as disclosed by the club, and it comes at a time when the Lightning team needs to accumulate points before the end of the season to secure a berth in the upcoming 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
According to Diandra Loux of The Hockey News:
Brayden Point is an integral part of the team as he is second in scoring, with 80 points accumulated this season. Victor Hedman is third on the team in scoring as he has 69 points in 68 games this season.
The Tampa Bay Lightning currently hold the number one wildcard spot for a post-season berth and every game the team plays now is crucial for the club, regarding the playoff picture.
The Lightning are currently 38-25-8 this season, holding the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference and fourth overall in the Atlantic Division. If the playoffs were to start today, the Tampa Bay Lightning would have to face the surging Boston Bruins in the first round.
Victor Hedman started his career with the Tampa Bay Lightning and has dressed up for 1042 games for them since the 2009-10 season. He has recorded 155 goals and 566 assists, tallying 721 points in the NHL in his career.
Victor Hedman records an assist and two shots on the net in an overtime loss
Victor Hedman helped tie the game at three goals apiece between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Los Angeles Kings matchup on Saturday night, as both teams are competing to move up in the standings.
The Kings took the game to overtime with 25 seconds into the frame. The Lightning managed to hang with the L.A. Kings with virtually deadlocked shots on the net total.
The Kings recorded 23 shots on the net while the Lightning had 24. Steven Stamkos scored two goals in the third period along with a goal from Brayden Point.
The Tampa Bay Lightning's next game is on Wednesday, March 27, against the Boston Bruins.