Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov left Tuesday’s 2-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a lower-body injury.
Kucherov got tangled with teammate Tyler Johnson in the second period. When he left the ice, Kucherov walked with a limp down the tunnel and to the locker room.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after the game that he didn’t have an update on Kucherov or Anthony Cirelli, who also left with a lower-body injury. Cooper said the team hopes to know more on both players on Thursday.
The injuries are beginning to pile up on the Lightning, with the NHL trade deadline on the horizon. In addition to Kucherov and Cirelli, captain Steven Stamkos also is nursing a lower-body issue; he was scratched on Tuesday, his second consecutive missed game.
Kucherov, last season’s Hart Trophy winner as the league’s regular-season MVP, had an assist on three shots in 15 shifts before the injury. That assist extended his points streak to 12 games, and he now has 70 on the season.