Sunday's Lightning victory may have come at a price for both Tampa Bay and Team Canada.
Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli exited Sunday's 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks after suffering an apparent injury following a hit from Noah Juulsen.
The incident occurred in the first period. The Canucks defenceman laid a hit on Cirelli, with the forward's back colliding awkwardly with the boards in front of Vancouver's bench.
The play didn't stop following the hit, with Cirelli able to skate off by himself and go back to the team's locker room. He did not return for the rest of the game.
Cirelli, 27, has been one of the game's top two-way forwards since coming into the league, finishing in the top five for Selke voting twice in the past seven seasons. His offensive play has taken a leap this year as he's tallied 11 goals and 13 assists in 25 games while centring the Lightning's productive second line.
With his improved offensive skillset, the Toronto native earned a spot on Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off team alongside teammates Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel and head coach Jon Cooper.
Despite losing long-time captain Steven Stamkos in the off-season, the Lightning have fared well, picking up a 14-9-2 record and sitting fourth in the Atlantic division.
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