Canadiens' Nick Suzuki: Two power-play helpers in Game 1
Rotowire
Suzuki picked up two power-play assists Sunday in a 4-3 overtime victory over Tampa Bay in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round.
Suzuki struggled to find space and time 5-on-5 under the oppressive weight of Anthony Cirelli's shutdown checking, even if the former dominated him at the dot (15-for-21; 71.4 percent). But Suzuki found a way to deliver on the power play. He's considered the frontrunner for the 2026 Selke Trophy, so he'll be matched against the Bolts' top line -- like Cirelli was attached to him -- when the Habs get the last change at home in Games 3 and 4.
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Canadiens' Cole Caufield: Two assists in Game 1 overtime win
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Caufield delivered two power-play assists in Sunday's 4-3 overtime win over Tampa Bay in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round.
Caufield had two shots, two hits and one block, and he spent most of the 5-on-5 play under the wet blanket of Anthony Cirelli's line. Expect the Bolts to continue to try to smother Caufield and his linemates, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky, but the NHL's second-best regular-season sniper (51 goals) will likely find a way to tickle the twine soon enough.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Back at practice Friday
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Cirelli (rest) returned to practice Friday, Erik Erlendsson of LightningInsider.com reports.
Cirelli sat out Wednesday's regular-season finale against the Rangers for rest purposes, but his return to practice a few days later signals that he should be ready for Game 1 against Montreal on Sunday. Cirelli made 71 regular-season appearances and recorded 23 goals, 29 assists, 50 hits, 48 PIM and 47 blocked shots while averaging 17:19 of ice time.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Resting Wednesday
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Cirelli is not in the lineup Wednesday versus the Rangers, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.
Cirelli will get some rest in the regular-season finale. He ends the regular season with 52 points in 71 outings. He should be in a top-six role for Game 1 of the postseason against the Canadiens.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Remains shelved Tuesday
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Cirelli (undisclosed) will miss Tuesday's road contest against the Senators, per Erik Erlendsson of LightningInsider.com.
Cirelli is set to miss his second consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury. Overall, the 28-year-old center has 52 points, 121 shots on net, 47 hits and 43 blocked shots through 68 games this season. It's unclear whether Cirelli will be kept out of the lineup for an extended period of time, but his status at the team's upcoming morning skates could provide more information. His next chance to return to Tampa Bay's lineup is Thursday against the Canadiens.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Unavailable in Buffalo
Rotowire
Cirelli (undisclosed) will not suit up Monday in Buffalo and is day-to-day, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times.
Cirelli's absence coincides with Scott Sabourin's (lower body) return to the lineup. Nick Paul will work as the second-line center in Buffalo due to Cirelli being unavailable. The Lightning play in the second half of a back-to-back Tuesday in Ottawa, so Cirelli should be considered questionable, at best, for that matchup at this time.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Second NHL hat trick
Rotowire
Cirelli delivered a hat trick while also recording a blocked shot Thursday in a 6-3 win over Pittsburgh.
It was Cirelli's second NHL hat trick and first since Jan. 17, 2020. Cirelli is up to 147 goals, which ranks 10th in franchise history, and he passed Frederik Modin (144) during Thursday's outing. He has 52 points (23 goals, 29 assists) and 120 shots on goal in 67 games this season. It's the second time that Cirelli has delivered a 50-plus point campaign.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Secures third straight 20-goal year
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Cirelli scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Kraken.
Cirelli got the Lightning on the board in the first period, tying the game at 1-1. This was his fifth goal and ninth point over the last six games, and it was his 20th tally of the campaign. He's reached that threshold in each of the last three years as he establishes himself as a quality second-line center in his prime years. He's at 49 points, 113 shots on net, 45 hits, 38 blocked shots, 44 PIM and a plus-32 rating over 63 outings this season. With the surge he's on lately, securing a second straight 50-point campaign should be no trouble.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Supplies three points
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Cirelli scored a goal on two shots, added two assists and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Kraken.
Cirelli set up two of Nikita Kucherov's three goals, and his linemate returned the favor once. Their line with Brandon Hagel accounted for five goals and 12 points as a unit. Cirelli hadn't scored since Jan. 26 versus the Mammoth, but he had five helpers over his previous five games before Tuesday. He's up to a total of 16 goals, 27 helpers, 100 shots on net, 43 hits, 37 blocked shots and a plus-27 rating across 58 appearances.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: First points since return
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Cirelli delivered two assists in a 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs on Saturday.
He didn't have a point in three straight outings before Saturday's contest after returning from a four-game absence due to an injury. Cirelli has 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists), 97 shots and a plus-26 rating in 53 games this season. His winning percentage at the dot is 48.6 percent. Cirelli has more value on the ice than in the fantasy arena, but he does heat up offensively from time to time.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Game-time call
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Cirelli (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision versus Buffalo on Saturday, per Lightning reporter Gabby Shirley.
Cirelli has been out of action since Feb. 1 and was forced to miss the Olympic Games due to his injury. He has 15 goals and 35 points over 49 games this season. If he is able to go, look for Scott Sabourin to possibly be the odd-man out.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Slated to miss next two games
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Cirelli (undisclosed) isn't expected to play Wednesday versus Toronto or Thursday in Carolina, per Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site.
The Lightning are hoping to get Cirelli back for Saturday's match against Buffalo. Cirelli missed Tampa Bay's past two games and the Olympics because of the injury. He has 15 goals and 35 points in 49 appearances in 2025-26.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Unavailable for Olympics
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Cirelli (undisclosed) won't be available for the 2026 Winter Olympics, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet on Tuesday.
After suffering an injury in Sunday's 6-5 shootout win over Boston, Cirelli will miss Tuesday's game against Buffalo and Thursday's matchup against Florida. It's unclear if he will be ready to return after the Olympic break. Sam Bennett (upper body) will replace Cirelli on Team Canada.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Shutdown before break
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Cirelli (undisclosed) has been ruled out for the Lightning's last two games before the Olympic break, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports Tuesday.
Cirelli hasn't been replaced on Canada's Olympic roster yet, so he could still be in action against Czechia on Feb. 12. With Nick Paul (undisclosed) also unavailable, the team may consider moving Jake Guentzel to the middle in order to fill out the depth chart.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Injured in outdoor game
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Cirelli (undisclosed) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's Stadium Series game versus Boston.
Cirelli was injured after taking a hit from Mark Kastelic at center ice during the opening frame. The Lightning rolled out seven defensemen for Sunday's matchup, so they are currently down to 10 forwards against the Bruins. Tampa Bay has two more games remaining before the Olympic break. Cirelli can be considered day-to-day for now.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Pots PP goal Monday
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Cirelli scored a power-play goal in Monday's 2-0 win over Utah.
Cirelli closed out the scoring for the Lightning at the 19:14 mark of the third period with a wrister. It was his 15th goal of the campaign, and the 28-year-old center is now riding a four-game point streak with six points (three goals, three helpers) in that span. Cirelli has been very productive over the last few weeks and is averaging over a point per game in January with 13 (five goals, eight assists) and a plus-10 rating in 12 contests.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: In lineup Friday
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Cirelli (undisclosed) is in the lineup for Friday's game versus the Blackhawks, per the NHL media site.
Cirelli left Tuesday's game versus the Sharks, but it looks like he will be fine. The 28-year-old will be in a top-six role and should see ice time in all situations.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Five points in last four games
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Cirelli put up two assists in a 7-2 win over the Flyers on Saturday.
Cirelli has two goals and three assists in four games since the calendar flipped to 2026. He has six shots, two hits, one block and a plus-five rating in that span. However, Cirelli still struggles at the dot. He's 25-for-55 (45.5 percent) over his last four outings. Still, he's on pace to top 50 points this season, score more than 20 goals and his plus-minus is already stellar at plus-24 in 39 games.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Provides two assists
Rotowire
Cirelli logged two assists, three hits and two PIM in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Panthers.
Cirelli set up a Jake Guentzel shorthanded tally in the first period and a Nikita Kucherov empty-netter in the third. The 28-year-old Cirelli has a goal and three helpers over his last four contests as he continues to bounce back after a quiet first half of December. The two-way center is up to 22 points (three on the power play, two shorthanded) with 60 shots on net, 23 hits, 20 blocked shots, 10 PIM and a plus-20 rating over 33 appearances in a top-six role this season.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Playing Saturday
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Cirelli (undisclosed) will be in the lineup against Carolina on Saturday, Lightning reporter Gabby Shirley reports.
Cirelli sustained an injury in the third period of Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Kings, but he won't miss additional action. He has nine goals and 19 points in 30 games this season. He should return to a top-six role against the Hurricanes on Saturday.
