PITTSBURGH — With Penguins star Sidney Crosby the latest player to get diagnosed with mumps, the Lightning seems resigned to the fact that, at some point, the growing outbreak might hit its locker room.
Fourteen players have had the mumps this season, spanning five teams (Ducks, Rangers, Devils, Penguins and Wild).
"That's kind of the sitting duck right now," captain Steven Stamkos said. "It's pretty crazy to last this long and you see another case. It's just a matter of time. You just hope we can do a good job of trying to contain it. I think it's just hope and pray we don't get it."
Mumps is a contagious viral infection that primarily affects salivary glands. The Lightning has taken the proper precautions, with each player and staff member getting tested last month and, if needed, given the proper vaccination and booster shot. But Crosby, the former NHL MVP, got the booster in February before the Olympics and still got the mumps last week. Crosby missed the last three games.
"I'm a little blown away at this," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. "It's jumping from team to team but in different parts of the country now, the Rangers in the East, Anaheim in the West. You've got teams in the Midwest. So, I'm not sure how this is happening.
"It's a bit alarming and it's too bad, too, because players get hurt enough whether it's a physical injury or what have you. Now, to have something like this take star players out of the game, no bigger than Sidney Crosby."
Medical matters: D Radko Gudas (stomach virus) participated in Monday's morning skate and warmups but missed his second straight game. Cooper hopes Gudas will return tonight in Philadelphia. LW Ondrej Palat (lower body injury) missed his third straight game. He skated Sunday, but not Monday, with Cooper saying he won't be ready until at least Friday or Saturday's game. "A few more days, he should be all right," Cooper said.
"Too cute:" The Lightning entered Monday in a 4-for-28 funk on the power play.
Cooper said players are being "too cute," trying to pass the puck in the net rather than shooting it.
"Sometimes you have to go back to basics, just get the puck up top, throw it to the net, outnumber and jam one home," Cooper said. "Sometimes when one of those 'greasy' ones goes in, it kind of opens everything up."
Ice chips: G Ben Bishop started but left injured after one period. G Evgeni Nabokov will likely start tonight in Philadelphia. … RW Brett Connolly moved to the fourth line with C Brian Boyle and LW Brenden Morrow, with RW J.T. Brown up to the third with LW Jonathan Drouin and C Cedric Paquette. … RW Ryan Callahan and D Anton Stralman were alternate captains. … Morrow got in a fight for second straight game. … Prospect G Andrei Vasilevskiy was named AHL player of the week after allowing one goal in three starts. … Third-round pick Brayden Point made the first round of cuts for Canada's world junior team.
Contact Joe Smith at joesmith@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_JSmith.