Lightning lose 2 players to controversial hits in Game 6.

The defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, are getting roughed up in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final and have in fact lost 2 of their players in the second period.

Both Lightning veteran forward Corey Perry and Lightning star defenseman Victor Hedman have left the Lightning bench during the second period after both were on the receiving end questionable hits from their opponents, the New York Rangers.

The hit to Perry came first and that one came courtesy of Rangers veteran defenseman Jacob Trouba. Trouba has been earning quite the reputation for himself in these Stanley Cup playoffs as a dangerous hitter and that continued on Saturday night. Trouba leveled Perry with a shoulder to shoulder hit in the open ice, dropping the durable forward to the ice in the process, but it came while neither Trouba nor Perry had the puck.

As you can see the puck glides right in between the two men, but neither man makes contact with it on the play.

Much to his credit, Perry would bounce right back up from the big hit and seemed none the worse for wear. The reality though was that Perry would play just one more shift before heading into the Rangers locker room and he has not yet returned at the time of this writing.

The second incident is one I suspect the Lightning will be much more frustrated with, an apparent injury to Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman. Hedman was furious in the second period after he was on the receiving end of an apparent elbow from Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere. Hedman, and his stick, snapped following the elbow with the big Lightning defenseman making quite the show of just how angry he was.

Hedman would sit on the Lightning bench, clutching at his face where presumably the elbow made contact, but like Perry he would eventually head into the Lightning locker room and did not return in the second period.

Regardless of the outcome of tonight's Game 6, I suspect the National Hockey League will be getting an angry phone call from the Lightning following the conclusion of it.