Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle sat in front of his locker at the St. Pete Times Forum after Wednesday's practice, rubbing with his fingers the right side of his head.

"If I wasn't wearing my helmet,'' he said, his voice trailing off.

Boyle had to leave practice after he was kicked in the head by tumbling teammate Andreas Karlsson in a scene that reminded of Florida's Richard Zednik getting his neck cut by the skate of his tumbling teammate.

"A scary thing,'' Karlsson said.

Karlsson said he was driving to the net when he tripped and flipped over and his skate blade smacked Boyle in the head. Boyle skated quickly off the ice and threw his stick to the ground as he went to the locker room.

Several minutes after gathering himself in the locker room, Boyle was seen walking the hallway outside the locker room. He was still rubbing his head.

Also at pracrice: defenseman Brad Lukowich skated with the team for the first time since sports hernia surgery in late February. Lukowich said he felt "good'' but was nervous. "You don't want to look terrible,'' he said.