In the Lightning, Mikhail Sergachev was back in the team after missing 31 regular season games and the first three games of the playoffs. Sergachev broke his leg in the game against the New York Rangers on February 7. The 25-year-old had a metal plate implanted in his leg and was back in training as a non-tackle on April 8. He began training seriously with the team on April 20. In game 4, he played alongside Erik Cernak and was booked for a goal-scoring pass over 17:03 in playing time.
– I felt good. Our fans supported me in a very nice way and I really appreciate that, says Sergachev, who accounted for 19 points (2+17) in the 34 games he played in the regular season. I felt like a hockey player again. To be honest, I was nervous before the game and couldn’t sleep much yesterday. It felt like it was my first NHL game again. Then you could hear the cheers from the stands already during the warm-up and that meant a lot to me. I am very grateful to be back.
– The human body is amazing because it heals, says Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper. It’s just a matter of getting past the mental obstacles on the way. We knew that “Sergy” would play hockey again and it felt yesterday that it was time for him. He got a fantastic reception from the crowd before the game and it lifted the whole team that he was back.
With the win for Tampa Bay, the series lives on and now moves back to Sunrise and Amerant Bank Arena for Game 5 on Monday where the Lightning once again play to extend their season.
– We needed to win this match and showed that we have what it takes to defeat a strong opponent, says Stamkos. We know that the odds are not great when you are down 0-3 in games, but now the situation is a little better. Hopefully we can improve our chances further by winning the next match as well. We can only play one match at a time. That’s how we look at it.
