Cernak logged an assist, two shots on goal, two hits and three blocked shots in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Bruins.
Cernak has chipped in three helpers over his last eight games. He doesn't often get on the scoresheet, but he remains in a top-four role as a shutdown defender. For the season, Cernak is at 10 helpers, 30 shots on net, 85 hits, 50 blocked shots and a plus-10 rating across 37 appearances.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Plucks apple in loss
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Cernak notched an assist in Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Sharks.
Cernak has two helpers, 10 hits and five blocked shots over his last four games. The 27-year-old set up Anthony Cirelli's second-period tally Thursday. Cernak doesn't add much on offense but plays a heavy physical game. He has nine points, all helpers, while adding 23 shots on net, 18 PIM, a plus-11 rating, 76 hits and 44 blocked shots through 33 appearances this season.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Provides helper in win
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Cernak logged a shorthanded assist, three shots on goal, four hits and two PIM in Monday's 4-0 win over the Panthers.
Cernak set up Brandon Hagel's shorthanded empty-netter to close out the scoring in the third period. The helper was Cernak's second over seven outings in December -- he also missed two games due to a lower-body injury. The veteran defenseman has eight helpers, 23 shots on net, 70 hits, 40 blocked shots, 14 PIM and a plus-12 rating through 30 appearances. Injuries are often a concern since Cernak plays such a physically taxing style, but he's got an outside chance of matching his career high of 18 points from 2020-21 if he stays healthy.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Ready to return
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Cernak (lower body) is good to play Saturday versus Seattle, Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun reports.
Cernak missed two games due to the injury. He's projected to play alongside Ryan McDonagh. Cernak's return coincides with J.J. Moser exiting the lineup due to an undisclosed injury. Victor Hedman (lower body) is also unavailable Saturday, so Cernak will likely get more ice time than his season average of 18:24.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Game-time call
Rotowire
Cernak (lower body) will be a game-time decision Saturday versus Seattle, per Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun.
Cernak participated in Tampa Bay's optional morning skate, and head coach Jon Cooper is hopeful the 27-year-old defender will return from a two-game absence. He has collected seven assists, 17 shots on goal, 33 blocked shots and 48 hits through 25 appearances this season.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Remains out Thursday
Rotowire
Cernak (lower body) is slated to miss Thursday's tilt against Calgary, according to Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun.
Cernak was also absent for Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Edmonton. He has seven assists, 48 hits and 33 blocks over 25 appearances in 2024-25. His next opportunity to play will come Saturday in Seattle.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Sidelined by lower-body injury
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Cernak is out of the lineup Tuesday versus the Oilers due to a lower-body injury, Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun reports.
Cernak's injury was previously undisclosed. He is considered day-to-day at this time. His absence will result in the Lightning dressing 12 forwards and six defensemen, as opposed to a combination of 11 forwards and seven blueliners, with Darren Raddysh taking on a top-four role in Cernak's stead.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Unavailable Tuesday
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Cernak (undisclosed) won't play Tuesday against Edmonton, per Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun.
Cernak will miss at least one game after being injured in Sunday's 4-2 win over Vancouver. The Lightning brought up Steve Santini from AHL Syracuse on Tuesday for additional defense depth. Cernak has compiled seven assists, 17 shots on goal, 33 blocked shots and 48 hits across 25 appearances this season.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Sees limited work in third period
Rotowire
Cernak was limited to just one shift in the third period of Sunday's 4-2 win over the Canucks, indicating that he could be dealing with an injury, Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun reports.
Head coach Jon Cooper didn't provide an update on Cernak's status after Sunday's matchup but said that the team should know more Monday. It's not yet clear whether the 27-year-old will be available for Tuesday's road game against Edmonton, but Nick Perbix could draw into the lineup if Cernak is unable to suit up.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Registers assist Thursday
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Cernak notched an assist, three hits and a plus-3 rating in Thursday's 8-1 win over the Sharks.
Cernak has three helpers over his last 10 contests. The 27-year-old has added 26 hits, 13 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating in that span, serving as a steady defender who can chip in the occasional point or two. The blueliner is at seven assists, 47 hits, 32 blocks, 17 shots on net, 12 PIM and a plus-9 rating through 24 outings overall.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Posts helper in win
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Cernak recorded an assist, three hits, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Monday's 8-2 win over the Avalanche.
Cernak has earned three assists over 10 games in November. That's about as good a scoring pace as anyone can expect from the 27-year-old blueliner, who fills a shutdown role on the Lightning's second pairing. He's earned six helpers, 15 shots on net, 12 PIM, a plus-7 rating, 31 hits and 28 blocked shots over 20 appearances in 2024-25.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Leaves game after blocked shot
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Cernak did not return to Thursday's game versus the Flyers after blocking a shot in the second period, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
There was no update on Cernak's status after the game. The 27-year-old's heavily defensive playing style often leads to him needing attention at times during games. He'll have the benefit of an extended break in the schedule for the Lightning -- their next game is next Thursday versus the Jets.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Snags assist Friday
Rotowire
Cernak recorded an assist and three shots on goal in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Wild.
Cernak was able to avoid missing time after exiting Wednesday's game in Colorado with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old blueliner plays a hard game, which often makes him a magnet for injuries. That doesn't tend to be a problem for fantasy managers, as Cernak rarely scores enough to warrant consideration in most formats. He has four assists, nine shots on net, 16 hits, 15 blocked shots, 10 PIM and a plus-2 rating through 11 outings.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Playing against Wild
Rotowire
Cernak (upper body) will be in the lineup versus Minnesota on Friday, Jessi Pierce of NHL.com reports.
Cernak was hurt in the second period against Colorado on Wednesday but appears to be no worse for the wear. Through 10 games this season, the 27-year-old blueliner has notched three assists, 16 hits and 15 blocks while averaging 19:17 of ice time. Cernak is unlikely to offer much in the way of offensive upside but could still offer decent mid-range fantasy value in banger leagues.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Suffers injury Wednesday
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Cernak (upper body) was injured in the second period of Wednesday's game versus the Avalanche, Ryan Boulding of NHL.com reports.
Cernak was hit high by Matthew Stienburg and wasn't able to return to the game. Head coach Jon Cooper didn't have an update on Cernak's status after the contest. The Lightning are in the middle of a road trip with the next game coming Friday in Minnesota. Nick Perbix would draw into the lineup if Cernak can't play.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Nabs assist in loss
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Cernak logged a shorthanded assist, two hits and two PIM in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Wild.
Cernak isn't one to put up a lot of offense, though he's been decent early in the year with three assists through seven games this season. The defenseman helped out on Brandon Hagel's game-tying goal in the second period. Cernak has added four shots on net, six PIM, 12 hits, 11 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating while playing on the second pairing.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Helps out on empty-netter
Rotowire
Cernak recorded an assist, two shots on goal, two hits and two blocked shots in Friday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes.
Cernak had a secondary assist on Nikita Kucherov's first empty-netter. Offense has never been much of a component of Cernak's play -- he's a physical shutdown defenseman who can handle top-four minutes. He's also reached the 70-game mark just once in his first six campaigns, so any fantasy managers counting on him for hits and blocked shots should have a backup plan in place. Last campaign, he produced two goals, 11 helpers, 198 hits, 109 blocks and 63 PIM over 69 regular-season appearances.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Set to return Monday
Rotowire
Cernak (coach's decision) is expected back in the lineup against the Red Wings on Monday, Gabby Shirley of Bally Sports Florida reports.
Cernak was held out of Saturday's game versus the Islanders after missing a team meeting but it seems his punishment won't carry beyond that one game. The defenseman had just two assists and two shots on goal over 10 games in March. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to break out of his 17-game goal drought any time soon.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Not playing Saturday
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Cernak (coach's decision) won't play Saturday against the Islanders after missing a team meeting, Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site reports.
Cernak will be replaced in the lineup by Haydn Fleury, who missed the past six games due to a lower-body injury. The 26-year-old Cernak has 11 points, 61 PIM, 94 blocked shots and 158 hits in 60 appearances this season.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Suffers lower-body injury
Rotowire
Cernak sustained a lower-body injury in Saturday's game versus the Flyers, Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site reports.
Per Krenn, head coach Jon Cooper didn't not provide a specific update as to how much concern there is for Cernak's status going forward. The Lightning are off until Thursday's game versus the Rangers, which may give the defenseman time to recover if it's a fairly minor injury. If he has to miss time, Calvin de Haan will likely take Cernak's spot in the lineup.
