

The mid and late-2010s treated the Lightning well, as they became a mainstay in the NHL playoffs under Jon Cooper. In the years following their exciting, dramatic Stanley Cup victory, the Lightning again found themselves on uneven footing and failed to establish themselves as a consistent threat in the Eastern Conference. In 2004, under Coach John Tortorella, Tampa Bay claimed its first ever Stanley Cup after coming back from down 3-2 against the Calgary Flames. The Lightning joined the NHL in the 1992-1993 season and struggled to find consistent success in their first decade. He was trying to just go shoulder-to-shoulder, get some separation, and it ended up in that.The Tampa Bay Lightning have often made their fans happy, but their back-to-back titles in 20 brought joy to plenty of bettors as well.

"I think it was just one of those plays where you know who you’re playing against, and the guy knows he’s going to come at you hard. “I don’t think Bunts really even looked at him," Giordano said. Veteran Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano said Bunting did not intend to injure Cernak. Cernak left and did not return.Ĭooper generally deferred to the league when asked about Bunting’s hit Tuesday night but said at the time that it “checks all the boxes” for supplemental discipline. The NHL has suspended Bunting three games for the hit.īunting was given a match penalty and ejected from Game 1 for an illegal check to the head late in the second period. Cooper said top defenseman Victor Hedman was questionable to play.


Forward Michael Eyssimont also won’t play in Game 2 Thursday night in Toronto after taking a hit from Toronto defenseman Jake McCabe. Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak will miss Game 2 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night after he took a shot in the head from Michael Bunting in Game 1, coach Jon Cooper said.Ĭernak was one of three Lightning players to leave with an injury.
