The team’s top defenseman, who played just three shifts before leaving Tampa Bay’s last game Thursday, tried to give it a go, but was scratched.

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost top defenseman and captain Victor Hedman to injury during Thurdsay night’s wild 6-5 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at Amalie Arena; he managed to play less than three total minutes in the first period,

Captain Victor Hedman was scratched late despite taking line rushes and warming up with the team ahead of the Lightning’s showdown against the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon.

Victor Hedman skates off the ice and does not return to the bench for the Lightning.

It was far from pretty and, in fact, the Lightning’s 6-5, comeback win over the Sabres Thursday night was wildly bizarre. Though Tampa Bay was lulled into a sloppy, wide-open game by a Buffalo team with high-skill scorers but a porous defense,