Fleury (undisclosed) isn't expected to play in Game 4 against Florida on Saturday, per the NHL media site.
Fleury had a goal, five points, 31 hits and 40 blocks in 24 regular-season outings. He hasn't been in the lineup since April 6 because of the injury. If Fleury had been available for Game 4, he might have served as the seventh defenseman or been a healthy scratch.
Sergachev (leg) was activated off long-term injured reserve, per the NHL media site, which sets him up to return for Game 4 against Florida on Saturday.
Sergachev was previously ruled out for at least the first round, so his speedy return is a huge surprise. With Tampa Bay facing a 3-0 deficit in the series, his teammates need all the help they can get to stave off elimination. If the defenseman hadn't come back now, then it might have been too late. He had two goals, 19 points, 36 hits and 70 blocks in 34 regular-season appearances. While Sergachev typically serves in a top-four capacity, his minutes might be limited in his first contest since Feb. 7.
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Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy: Starting Game 4
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Vasilevskiy will protect the home net Saturday versus Florida in Game 4, per Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site.
Vasilevskiy has gone 0-3 this postseason, surrendering nine goals on 94 shots (.904 save percentage). The Lightning need a victory Saturday to avoid a four-game sweep, and the team should get a boost from having Mikhail Sergachev (leg) back in the lineup.
Lightning's Steven Stamkos: Goal streak at three games
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Stamkos scored a goal on two shots and added six hits, two blocked shots and a minus-2 rating Thursday in a 5-3 loss to the Panthers in Game 3 of the Lightning's first-round series.
The 34-year-old has done his best to keep Tampa Bay afloat, finding the back of the net in three straight games to begin the playoffs, but his team still faces the prospect of getting swept after losing all three contests. Stamkos also has a couple career milestones in his sights -- he needs two more playoff goals for 50 in his caree, and one more playoff point for 100. He might need to reach both marks Saturday in Game 4 in order for the Lightning to stay alive.
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Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy: Falls to Cats again in Game 3
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Vasilevskiy stopped 26 of 30 shots Thursday in a 5-3 loss to the Panthers, with Florida's final goal of Game 3 getting scored into an empty net.
The 29-year-old hasn't been able to steal a game for the Lightning in their first-round series, and as a result Tampa Bay is staring at the possibility of getting swept. Vasilevskiy hasn't played poorly, allowing nine goals on 94 shots in the Bolts' three losses, but he'll likely need to find another gear in order for the team to stay alive past Saturday's Game 4.
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Lightning's Haydn Fleury: Out Thursday
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Fleury (undisclosed) won't return for Game 3 on Thursday, Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site reports.
Fleury hasn't been in the lineup since April 6 because of the injury. He has a goal and five points in 24 contests this season. Fleury might be deployed on the third pairing once he's recovered, but it's also possible Tampa Bay would make him a healthy scratch if he's able to return during the playoffs.
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Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy: In goal for Game 3
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Vasilevskiy will guard the home goal versus the Panthers on Thursday in Game 3, Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site reports.
Vasilevskiy has lost four games in a row, though the Lightning haven't scored more than twice in any of those contests. The 29-year-old will look for more goal support on home ice in Thursday's contest, as a loss would put Tampa Bay down 3-0 in the series.
Hedman picked up two assists, one on the power play, in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Panthers in Game 2 on Tuesday.
All of Tampa Bay's scoring came in the first six minutes of the second period, as the team was otherwise stifled by Sergei Bobrovsky. Hedman had managed only one multi-point performance in the prior 15 games, including Game 1, but he'd been a consistent contributor with a goal and 10 points over that span. The Bolts may need the 33-year-old blueliner to find another gear in order to have a chance to bounce back from an 0-2 deficit in the series.
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Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy: Outdueled in Game 2
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Vasilevskiy turned aside 34 shots Tuesday in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Panthers in Game 2 of the Lightning's first-round series.
In another outstanding battle between two former Vezina Trophy winners, Vasilevskiy was again outdueled by Sergei Bobrovsky as Tampa Bay fell into an 0-2 hole to begin the series. Vasilevskiy has given up six goals on 64 shots so far in the playoffs, and he actually has only one win in his last six starts dating back to the end of the regular season, posting a 3.40 GAA over that stretch. He'll try to turn things around on home ice in Game 3 on Thursday.
Fleury (undisclosed) won't play in Game 2 versus the Panthers on Tuesday, according to Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site.
Fleury will miss his seventh straight contest since April 6 due to a collision with a referee. He registered one goal, four assists, 40 blocked shots and 31 hits in 24 outings during the 2023-24 regular season.
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Lightning's Jonas Johansson: Remains out for Game 2
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Johansson (lower body) won't dress for Tuesday's Game 2 versus the Panthers, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Johansson could still be available at some point in the postseason, but it's unclear when that may be. It's safe to assume he'll be out indefinitely, as the Lightning have not provided a specific update on his status.
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Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy: Defending crease in Game 2
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Vasilevskiy will guard the road net in Game 2 versus Florida on Tuesday, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times.
Vasilevskiy stopped 25 of 27 shots in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Panthers in Game 1. He has lost five of his past six playoff outings, allowing 22 goals on 180 shots for an .878 save percentage over that span.
Crozier's promotion could be an indication that there is an injury somewhere on the Bolts' blue line following Sunday's Game 1 clash with the Panthers. For his part, the Calgary native logged 13 games at the NHL level this season in which he registered two assists, 13 shots and 16 hits while averaging 12:56 of ice time. Even if there is a spot open in the lineup ahead of Game 2 on Tuesday, it would likely be Calvin de Haan who suits up instead of Crozier.
