Mikhail Sergachev's surprise return sparks Lightning to Game 4 win

TAMPA, Fla. — Mikhail Sergechev could not sleep Friday night. The Lightning defenseman had just proven to his coaches that, not even 12 weeks after breaking the two major bones in his left leg, he was ready to return.

With Tampa Bay facing possible elimination Saturday night in its first-round series against the Florida Panthers, Sergechev hoped to help keep the team’s season alive.

“The docs cleared me and it was a coach’s decision, so I stayed up at the rink a little longer waiting for the coach to say yes or no, and he said yes,” Sergachev said. “And I got very excited and, honestly, I couldn’t really sleep (Friday) night. It felt like a first NHL game again.”

Sergechev was a surprise addition to the Lightning lineup. His appearance during pregame warmups was greeted by a roar from the packed house at Amalie Arena and gave the Lightning an emotional charge heading into their 6-3 win.

“It made me very emotional, and I’m just thankful to be here and thankful for the guys,” Sergachev said. “That was huge.”

The significance of Sergechev’s return could be measured in the decibels the crowd reached as he was introduced, Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

“In a normal introduction, you hear all the players’ names, there’s a cheer, it gets to (goaltender Andrei) Vasilevski, there’s a massive cheer. And I could not hear the PA guy say Vasilevskiy’s name,” Cooper said. “The roar (after Sergachev’s name) just kept going on, and all the guys on our bench got up.

“It was a stirring moment, and I thought we carried that right into the first period.”

Sergachev, 25, was taken off the ice on a stretcher Feb. 7 at Madison Square Garden after breaking the tibia and fibula in his left leg. He had surgery the next day and was back at practice by April 8.

Before the start of the postseason, Cooper had said Sergachev would not be ready for the first round. But after doctors cleared him Friday, Cooper said Sergachev showed coaches he was mentally ready to play.

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