Around the NHL: Kraken without McCann; Bolts reveal list of injuries

May 02, 2023 - 2:35pm

A trainer checks on Tampa Bay Lightning centre Brayden Point (21) after he was shaken up on a check by the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period in Game 3 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. (Chris O'Meara/AP)

Lightning GM Julien BriseBois revealed his team's butcher's bill on Tuesday, after Tampa was knocked out of the playoffs by the Toronto Maple Leafs, reports Eduardo A. Encina of The Tampa Bay Times.

Forward Tanner Jeannot, who was acquired from Nashville for a post-season run in exchange for five draft picks and Cal Foote? High ankle sprain. Did did play in Games 5 or 6.

Viktor Hedman, the Bolts' top defenceman? Hip impingement. He played in just 6:35 of Game 1, missed Game 2, and then returned to the lineup.

Centre Brayden Point, Tampa's 95-point man? Rib cage fracture, likely after crashing into the boards in Game 4 when he collided with Toronto's Morgan Rielly. He returned to that game, which Tampa lost in OT, but did not collect a point in the next two.

As was known, defenceman Erik Cernak had a concussion, the result of the illegal hit to the head from Toronto's Michael Bunting in Game 1 and never played again. Tampa forward Michael Eyssimont also had concussion symptoms, BriseBois revealed. Eyssimont played just three games in the series.

Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk took aim at the current playoff structure ahead of Game 1 of the second around, by declaring the Maple Leafs the second-best team in the NHL.

"I guess the prize for knocking off the best team in the league is getting [to play] the second-best team," said on Tuesday, his team having already knocked off the top-seeded Bruins.

Statistically speaking, however, Tkachuk is incorrect.

The 65-12-5 Bruins and their 135 points were the best team in hockey during the regular season, by a wide margin. But the Carolina Hurricanes (52-21-9, 113 points) were next, followed by the New Jersey Devils (52-22-8, 112 points), and then the Maple Leafs (50-21-11, 111 points).

In a world where the teams were re-seeded for the second round based on record, but staying in their conference, Tkachuk and the Panthers would be facing Carolina, while the Leafs would be playing the Devils.

The Kraken will be without forward Jared McCann for Game 1 of their series against the Dallas Stars, reports Saad Yousuf of The Athletic.

McCann, who scored 40 goals for Seattle this season, was injured in Game 4 of the Kraken's first-round series against Colorado, when he was illegally checked into the boards by Cale Makar of the Avlanche. Makar earned a one-game suspension on the play.

Head coach Dave Hakstol says McCann did not make the trip to Dallas with the team, Yousuf reports.

FILE - In this June 26, 2015, file photo, an NHL logo is shown before the start of the first round of the NHL hockey draft, in Sunrise, Fla. The NHL Free Agency period begins at noon Sunday, July 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File)

You can't play the games without officials, which makes their role an important one in the NHL postseason.

The NHL has revealed which of its referees and linesmen will be continuing on past the first round, which is laid out by scoutingtherefs.com.

Twelve referees and twelve linesman will work the second round. Only two of them are American-born. Every fan with an axe to grind over a perceived missed/bad call from the first round can review the list and decide how they feel about it.

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