Palat returns to Lightning's lineup vs. Red Wings
TAMPA, Fla. -- A significant part of the Tampa Bay Lightning's most dynamic line will return Friday night.
Coach Jon Cooper confirmed Friday morning that winger Ondrej Palat, who missed the past three games with a foot injury, will be back in the lineup when the Lightning host the Detroit Red Wings at Amalie Arena. Palat, named a Calder Trophy finalist last season, was absent after sustaining the injury on a block attempt in the second period of Tampa Bay's victory over the Montreal Canadiens on March 10.
"I feel pretty good," Palat said, "and I think I'm good to go."
Palat, 23, has 37 assists and 52 points this season as part of a strong line that includes center Tyler Johnson and winger Nikita Kucherov. Palat returned to practice Thursday, and Friday morning, he declared himself "100-percent ready" to return to action.
"That line with Johnny and Kuch, he's a big part of that line," Cooper said. "And a lot of it, down-low stuff that goes on -- puck retrievals -- everybody does it, but Palat seems to be in there a little bit more than the other two. And he just makes that line work, so getting him back is big for us."
The Lightning went 1-1-1 in Palat's absence. Still, Johnson said some comfort was missing with Palat gone. Palat's assist total ranks second on the team, behind Johnson's 40, and his plus-28 rating is fifth-best in the NHL.
"Pally is just one of those guys who just battles and competes," Johnson said. "He wins those one-on-one battles. He'll win some two-on-one battles. He's just a warrior out there. So for him to be out of the lineup here, you're missing a guy that's battling for the puck, blocking shots, hits, and then obviously he has a lot of skill up front to create plays and create some scoring chances too. He just kind of does it all. And when you're missing a guy like that, it's obviously pretty big."
Palat said there's no lingering soreness from his injured foot. After a brief absence, he's eager to contribute once more.
"It's always bad for a hockey player to be injured and he can't play," he said. "So I felt bad when I couldn't play. I was watching the guys play in the locker room. You're just so excited to come back. And good thing (the absence) was a short time."
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
