Tampa Bay will be up against the President's Trophy winners in the Florida Panthers as the Lightning look to pull off a historic Stanley Cup three-peat. Ahead of the series-opener on Tuesday, the Lightning were dealt a concerning injury update to star forward Brayden Point. Point, who suffered a lower-body injury in Game 7 against the Maple Leafs, is considered doubtful for Game 1 against the Panthers, per Joe Smith.
Jon Cooper said Brayden Point is doubtful for Game 1 but is day to day after.
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) May 16, 2022
Head coach Jon Cooper told reporters Monday that he doesn't expect Point to be on the ice for Game 1, but considers the 26-year-old to be day-to-day for the rest of the series.
Point went down with a painful-looking injury in Game 7 of the Maple Leafs during the first period. While many assumed he'd be done for the night, Point toughed it out and returned to the ice in the second period, helping lift Tampa Bay into the second round in the 2-1 victory.
Unfortunately, it seems the injury will keep him from action on Tuesday, barring a late change in his status. That's a significant loss for the Lightning, who will also have to monitor Nikita Kucherov's status, as he's also dealing with a minor injury. He wasn't forced to miss any time, but it was clear he was being impacted by the ailment in Game 7.
This season across 66 games, Point recorded 58 points, registering 28 goals and 30 assists. It was his fifth consecutive season with 20+ goals, and the fourth time in his career he logged more than 55 points. With Point sidelined, the Lightning will have a tougher time on the road against the Panthers, who will look to capitalize on his absence in Game 1.
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