How do the Lightning balance their defensive pairs moving forward while Rutta remains out?
That remains to be seen.
Braydon Coburn and Luke Schenn will get the first opportunity to replace Rutta, although which one gets the first chance Richards wouldn't reveal. Coburn was in the Lightning's top six at the beginning of the season, playing on a third pairing with Mikhail Sergachev, but a lower-body injury forced him to the sideline for 13 games from November 30 through December 28. Playing in eight of 17 games since, he's struggled to regain his spot in the top six, more so a reflection of the growth in Rutta's game and the trust the coaching staff has in Rutta. But Coburn, who will play his 950th NHL game his next game, has been a reliable option in the past and is a player the coaching staff has a lot of faith in.
Schenn was signed as a free agent during the offseason but hasn't found a regular spot in the lineup, mainly because of the unexpected signing of Kevin Shattenkirk late in the summer after the New York Rangers bought out his contract, allowing the Lightning to sign the former All-Star defenseman at a bargain price.
Schenn hasn't skated in the last 15 games, watching mostly from the press box. He saw his playing time increase when Coburn suffered his injury and has netted a goal in 15 games this season for the Bolts.
Whether it's Coburn or Schenn who returns to the lineup Thursday when the Lightning host the Pittsburgh Penguins, or both if the Bolts decide to go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, there will undoubtedly be rust each will have to shake off.
"It's always the timing. You can't duplicate game situations in practice," Richards said when asked what challenges either will face. "You try as a coach, but you just can't do it. I know the players want the same thing too, guys that are trying to get themselves back into the game. So, it's going to be timing, it's going to be how they manage themselves, not over-extending shifts where fatigue becomes a factor. The pace last night might have been the fastest game we've played all year, our fastest opponent, and Pittsburgh's going to play a similar style of just the speed and the size, so it's going to be going out and just managing their shifts and not over-extending trying to do too much and let the feel of the game get back into their game just so they aren't getting exploited in any way."
The Lightning seemed to have their defensive pairs locked in with Rutta in the lineup. Now that he's gone for a spell, there might be a temptation to move pieces around. During Wednesday's practice session at AMALIE Arena, Mikhail Sergachev got the first crack alongside Hedman. Sergachev is certainly deserving of a top-pairing role as he's elevated his game and become one of the Lightning's more reliable and dynamic defenseman.
"Sergy has done a real good job of solidifying and showing that he can take more opportunities and different opportunities, 4-on-4, penalty kill," Richards said. "We know the offensive side of him, but, to me, what he's shown, especially last night against a big group of forwards in Las Vegas, he showed it in San Jose too, there's a couple plays that stick out in my mind where he physically went in and handled guys, big guys, big, strong guys, proven NHL players. He's earned that, and we'll just have to see going forward how we're going to manage the pairs."
