Lightning lose 3 centers in win over Wild

A look at Thursday night's result for the Tampa Bay Lightning seems encouraging - a convincing 4-1 win over the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Wild.

The two points - although crucial in Tampa's push toward the postseason - don't nearly tell the whole story, though, as centers Vladislav Namestnikov, Tyler Johnson, and Cedric Paquette all left the game with injuries.

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Head coach Jon Cooper said there's no update on any player, and indicated he'll wait for Friday's medical reports before hitting the panic button, but did offer a rather ominous prediction.

"It doesn't sound encouraging for any of them," he said, according to Bryan Burns of the club's official website.

Tampa Bay's season likely hangs in the balance, as their depth down the middle may take a major hit. The Lightning sent out pivots Brian Boyle and Valtteri Filppula at the trade deadline, and have been without captain Steven Stamkos since mid-November.