Lightning Defenseman Erik Cernak Ruled Out of Red Wings Matchup With Undisclosed Injury

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak will miss Saturday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings due to an undisclosed injury.

He left Thursday’s matchup against Anaheim after just 34 seconds of ice time after sustaining the injury.

It’s unknown how long Cernak’s absence will be, but he is a notable loss to the Lightning. Cernak’s strong presence on the backend in Tampa Bay’s top-two pairings is heavily relied upon as he averaged 18:15 in ice time.

Maxwell Crozier will step into the lineup for his season debut. The 24-year-old played 13 NHL games with the Lightning last season, recording two assists, 13 shots, 11 blocks, and 16 hits. Crozier will join Ryan McDonagh on the second defensive pairing.

Cernak’s next opportunity to return would be Monday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

More NHL: Penguins’ Alex Nedeljkovic Set Unbelievable NHL Record in Win vs Sabres

The Lightning look to build on their position as the third-place club within the Atlantic Division without him on Saturday.

Detroit, which is outside the playoff picture, has been on a strong run recently, winning eight of their last 10 games. Tampa Bay has faced a busy January, playing 16 games throughout the month.

Special teams could heavily influence Saturday’s tilt. The Red Wings boast the league’s second-best power play, converting at an impressive 29.5%, but their penalty kill ranks near the bottom at 31st overall.

But the Lightning have also been effective on the power play this season, operating at 26.2%, and recently made adjustments to their power play units earlier this week.

“Our record is not where we’d like it in our division,” Jon Cooper said ahead of the game. “So I think that’ll be a motivation for the guys. You start looking around, it’s now in the second half of the season. I know it’s early in the second half, but you’re looking around at the teams now… who wants to take your spot? This is one of them. So we’ve just got to play that complete game, which we haven’t fully seen.”

When asked about the challenge of facing the Lightning, Detroit head coach Todd McLellan praised Tampa Bay’s offensive prowess.

“Top scoring team in the league per game,” McLellan said. “They are what they are. They can flat-out put it in the net, and they’ve got some superstars that play a lot, and they play in important situations. You don’t want to get into a track meet with this team. Four and five, those numbers favor Tampa Bay I think against any team.”

More NHL:

Canucks’ Rick Tocchet Seemingly Takes Shot at JT Miller Amid Trade Rumors

Leafs Predicted to Sign Big Name Center Before Trade Deadline

For more on the NHL, head to Newsweek Sports.