Posts About "Erik Cernak"
Lightning: Looking At the 2020 Restricted Free Agent Class
March 25th, 2020 For the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2019-20 season was supposed to be one of redemption. After years of postseason meltdowns, Tampa Bay needed to win a Stanley Cup with their stacked roster that was considered one of the best in the NHL. As the playoffs approached, things were looking good, with everything in place to make a deep run once...
Lightning's Defensive Injuries Spell Woes Before Playoff Push
March 4th, 2020 For the Tampa Bay Lightning, building a defensive corps that could compete with the best in the NHL has been a long and arduous process. Before Steve Yzerman took over as general manager back in 2010, the franchise had little to no depth on the blue line beside a potential superstar in Victor Hedman. Through a mixture of veteran...
Oilers' Kassian Suspended Seven Games for Kicking Lightning's Cernak
February 14th, 2020 The NHL Department of Player Safety has come down hard on the Edmonton Oilers’ Zack Kassian for kicking the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Erik Cernak, suspending the forward for seven games. Ugly Incident The incident in question took place Thursday in the first period of the Lightning’s 3-1 win at Amalie Arena. After Kassian and...
Lightning Have Big RFA Issues to Face This Summer
December 25th, 2019 Regardless of how they do in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs — if they even make it — the Tampa Bay Lightning will have a busy offseason. They have six restricted free agents (RFAs) and four unrestricted free agents (UFAs) heading into the 2020-21 season. Tampa's RFAs are arguably the more interesting group because, firstly, it's...
Sabres' Toughness Still A Problem
November 27th, 2019 S.O.S! These “Same Old Sabres” are still stinking up the joint. Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin fell backwards to the ice, spinning on his knees, clutching his face with both of his hands. Clearly shaken, he dropped his stick, then his gloves. Blood was dripping from his face, splattering on the ice....
NHL Suspends Lightning Cernak 2 Games for Elbowing Dahlin
November 26th, 2019 NEW YORK — The NHL has suspended Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Erik Cernak for two games for elbowing Buffalo Sabres defenceman Rasmus Dahlin in the face. Cernak wasn’t penalized for the hit, which occurred during a Sabres power play late in the second period of the Lightning’s 5-2 win on Monday night. Erik Cernak, Tampa...
Countdown to Puck Drop - Day 81 - Cernak's Importance to the Lightning
July 13th, 2019 Introducing The Hockey Writers' Countdown to Puck Drop series. From now until the puck drops on the 2019-20 NHL's regular season on Oct. 2 when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators, we'll be producing content that's connected to the number of days remaining on that particular day. Some posts may be associated with a player's...
Lightning Rookies Making an Immediate Impact
January 5th, 2019 A major focus of former Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman was to keep a constant flow of young, high-talent players available in the AHL so they could compete for NHL playing time at any point in the year. If a player showed that they were NHL ready, they would earn a coveted roster spot, even if that meant sending a...
Lightning Found a Winner in Erik Cernak
September 29th, 2018 When the Tampa Bay Lightning traded goaltender Ben Bishop to the Los Angeles Kings at the 2017 trade deadline for Peter Budaj and defensive prospect Erik Cernak, it was hard not to feel underwhelmed by the return. During his tenure in Tampa Bay, Bishop was one of the best goaltenders in team history. He not only set multiple franchise...
Lightning Prospect Pool Gems
September 30th, 2017 While preseason hockey is often maligned, it does present a rare opportunity for teams to evaluate everyone at once. From franchise centermen to new draft picks, ice time is plentiful and shared during the preseason. For the Tampa Bay Lightning, this time has not been wasted, evaluating new talent as the more job secure players waited in...
European Defenseman Reaches the Hockey Bar
February 15th, 2016 “He’s a pretty sharp-dressed guy”, Kris Knoblauch says with a chuckle. Knoblauch is the Head Coach of the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Erie Otters and he's referring to defenseman Erik Černák. “Our Euro players tend to be a little more so than our other players.” It’s no secret that Europeans tend to dress better than...
Someone Clinched A Playoff Spot Friday
January 30th, 2016 January usually isn't the time we talk about teams clinching playoff births. One team decided to make it a thing on Friday night. It just goes to show you how impressive their season has been. Friday night, the Erie Otters travelled to Budweiser Gardens to take on their division rival London Knights. Both teams went into the game...
2016 WJC: Team Slovakia Preview
December 19th, 2015 After a few years of bad results and being on the verge of relegation, Team Slovakia had a couple of good years at the WJC, culminating in a bronze medal last year. Unfortunately for them, however, the Slovaks had their best players from last year graduate. Both forward Martin Reway and goalie Denis Godla will be unavailable for this...
