After emotional return, Mikhail Sergachev still finding comfort level
SUNRISE — Mikhail Sergachev’s surprise return to the Lightning lineup Saturday night was fueled by the elation of being back on the ice and the adrenaline of playing in the postseason.
After the Lightning kept their season alive by beating the Panthers in Game 4 of the first round, the hope now is that Sergachev can settle in and be himself. While he said he feels fine physically, he’s still finding his way after suddenly jumping into the pace of the postseason.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t say I’m comfortable,” Sergachev said after Monday’s morning skate at Amerant Bank Arena. “It’s hard. I just tried to keep it simple and do a clean breakout or flip the puck out, try to help on offense as much as possible. It’s very hard jumping in and getting comfortable right away.”
Keep in mind that Saturday marked Sergachev’s first game in 80 days after he sustained breaks in two major bones in his left leg. And it was just his second game since Dec. 19 (he had been sidelined by a foot injury). Combine that with the ramp up of intensity in the postseason, and there’s a lot to get adjusted to.
“I have confidence in myself,” Sergachev said. “Yeah, it’s just the speed of the game. It’s just so different than in practice. ... We’ll see tonight, but I’ll just try to do my thing. Play simple, don’t try to think too much and just play.”
Sergachev played just 17:03 of ice time Saturday, and his average shift time of 37 seconds was the shortest of all Lightning defensemen. He had the primary assist on Brandon Hagel’s goal that gave the Lightning a 4-1 lead.
Still facing a 3-1 series deficit — and with the series moving back to the Panthers’ home ice — it will be even more important for the Lightning to keep their game plan simple, Sergachev said.
“They’re a fast team, and when you start making mistakes, they hurt you,” he said. “... When they’re pushing, we have to play simple. That’s what we’ve got to do, but they’re a very skilled team, a very high-flying team.”
But as far as how feels physically, Sergachev said there are no concerns. He’s learned to trust the metal rod in his left leg, knowing the broken bones have healed and are stable. But he had to overcome several mental hurdles to get here.
“The first four weeks I was kind of, I don’t want to say depressed, but you’re coming to the rink, you see the boys go and suiting up for a game and you’re just there to work out and you honestly don’t want to be there because you’re kind of hurt,” Sergachev said. “It’s sore and you want to play and kind of gets you depressed. But after four weeks, it was easier because I started walking better and I just saw the progress and that helped.”
Sergachev said it also helped when Lightning assistant athletic trainer Mike Poirier showed him videos of Lightning captain Steven Stamkos back on skates two weeks after suffering a broken leg in 2013. Former Lightning forward Alex Killorn broke his fibula in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2021 and was skating two days after having a metal rod inserted into his leg. The Lightning won the Cup in five games, but Killorn had hoped to return to the ice for a Game 7.
“That just kind of inspired me,” Sergachev said. “And I kind of realized that it’s just muscle pain. It’s not bone. So I kind of started putting more pressure on it and walking, just kind of working through the pain a little bit.”
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