Following a collision near the red line, Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield got tangled up with Jeannot and both players fell to the ice with Jeannot's right leg completely bent underneath him and taking all the weight of both players with Mayfield landing directly on top of the Bolts' trade deadline acquisition.
Jeannot needed assistance getting off the ice and was unable to put any weight on his right leg. He did not return to the contest.
Following the game, Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper described his level of concern as "high" regarding Jeannot's injury.
"That's a little worrisome," Cooper added. "That's a tough one, because he's a big part of our team and he was really coming into his own. To see that happen, those are tough ones to watch."
After watching the replays of the collision and hearing those comments from Cooper, things were looking pretty grim for Jeannot's status heading into the postseason. It was reported that Jeannot flew home to Tampa following the game to get further testing and see where things were at.
When the Lightning were battling the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman appeared on Hockey Night in Canada during the second intermission of the game between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.
In speaking about Jeannot, Friedman stated that there is obviously lots of secrecy around playoff time, particularly when it comes to injury status, but he shared what information he'd been hearing regarding the injury to Jeannot.
"The word is it isn't as bad as it could've been," Friedman said. "There's still no guarantee he's going to be ready to face Toronto in the playoffs, but the word is it wasn't as serious as it could've been."
Friedman is as reliable as they come when it comes to NHL Insiders and news around the league, so that was a glimmer of hope for Bolts fans hoping to see Jeannot in the lineup come playoff time. With the Lightning enjoying a day off on Easter Sunday, the team returned to the ice for practice Monday, allowing media to get an update on Jeannot's status straight from Cooper.
"You'd have to sit here and say he's more than day-to-day," Cooper said. "Hopefully he'll be back here at some point in the playoffs, but he's definitely not going to start with us in the playoffs."
When asked if he expects Jeannot to miss the entirety of the first round, Cooper said, "I don't want to say that, but I don't expect him to play Game One."
Maybe Jeannot will be able to play at some point in Round One for the Lightning. Maybe he won't be able to play at all. But the possibility of having him available for any of the playoffs feels like a win for Tampa Bay after he suffered what looked very much like it could have been a season-ending injury.
We'll keep our eyes peeled and see if Jeannot is able to get on the ice and skate as the regular season nears its end. Tampa Bay's final regular season game is set for Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. The Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin Monday, April 17, but the Lightning and Maple Leafs full schedule has yet to be announced.
