Lightning defeat Panthers as Hedman exits with injury

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s injury woes just got worse. Star defenseman Victor Hedman left tonight’s game against Montreal after playing just 6 minutes and 14 seconds in the first period.

The team announced during the second intermission that their captain wouldn’t return. They haven’t shared any details about what’s wrong.

It’s terrible timing for the Lightning, who are already dealing with a banged-up defense. They just lost star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to injured reserve on Monday.

What makes this extra concerning? Hedman had just come back from missing most of November with another injury. No one’s sure if these two issues are connected.

The Lightning are already playing without defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak. Losing Hedman on top of that? That’s a tough break.

But here’s the thing – Tampa Bay keeps finding ways to win. They’re sitting pretty in second place in the Atlantic Division despite all these setbacks.

J.J. Moser has been a bright spot, stepping up big time in his second year with the team. He’s turned into a really reliable defender – exactly the kind of player they needed to stay competitive.

Hedman’s been an iron man throughout his career. At 34 years old, he’s played more than 1,100 regular season games, plus another 170 in the playoffs. That’s a lot of hockey.

When he’s healthy, he’s still one of the best in the game. This season, he’s put up 12 points in 17 games – pretty impressive for a defenseman.

The Lightning managed to beat Montreal tonight, snapping a four-game losing streak. But with both Vasilevskiy and Hedman potentially out, things aren’t going to get any easier for Tampa Bay.

The big question now: How long can they keep winning with so many key players watching from the press box?