The Lightning defensive group, who battled through a number of injuries during the regular season, took another hit Sunday in Game 1 against the Canadiens when Charle-Edouard D’Astous exited early after a heavy collision midway through the second period.

While chasing a loose puck behind his own net, D’Astous was hit simultaneously by two Montreal forwards. Jake Evans made contact from the front, while Josh Anderson came in from behind with a hard hit that brought him down to the ice. D’Astous needed help from his teammates as he made his way down the tunnel. He did not return for the third period.

Anderson was initially assessed a penalty on the play, with officials reviewing the hit for a five-minute major. The call was then reduced to a two-minute minor for charging, and the Lightning capitalized with a power-play goal. D’Astous has made an impact in his first season with the Lightning, appearing in 70 regular season games, recording six goals and 23 assists.

Lightning rookie Dominic James also briefly exited Sunday’s game after a collision with Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj caught his right leg on his first shift of the night.

“He got the scare, and he got through it and came back,” Jon Cooper said of James after the game. “I don’t want to say that was the best thing that could have happened to him, but probably was the best thing that could have happened to him because as that game went on he got better and better. Great to see him back just for him and the experience. He’s a super kid, so that was good.”

The 23-year-old had been out since Feb. 28 after suffering a leg injury against the Buffalo Sabres. He was activated off injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s matchup.