The Tampa Bay Lightning managed a stellar comeback against the New York Rangers in Game 3, effectively keeping their season alive. With the Eastern Conference Finals series back in Tampa with the Lightning facing a 2-1 deficit, head coach Jon Cooper dropped a critical update on star forward Brayden Point, who has been sidelined since Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs. Via Elliotte Friedman, Cooper announced that Point would once again be unavailable ahead of Game 4 against the Rangers.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1533830484832182272

Considering Point hasn't suited up since Game 7 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, during which he sustained a lower-body injury, it's not all too surprising that the star forward won't be out on the ice on Monday. Still, it's a huge blow for Tampa, as the team has been hoping to get the 26-year-old back to action for quite a while now.

The Lightning managed to sweep the Presidents' Trophy-winning Florida Panthers in the second round with Point on the sideline, but despite getting over a full week of rest before their series with the Rangers got underway, it seems Point's injury is still having a significant impact.

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Point was seen skating on the ice at Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 1 against the Rangers, however, he lost his footing while making a sharp turn and actually crashed into the wall. It's unclear if that impacted his availability for this series, but it was certainly concerning to see.

While he won't be available in Game 4, the Lightning's star forward was once again on the ice for the team's morning skate on Monday, which could bode well for his availability down the line in this series.

Point was seen skating alongside his teammates during the optional session, and while he wasn't moving with much pace, he didn't seem to be in any obvious discomfort. Cooper already ruled him out for Game 4, but his status for the remainder of the series is still very much up in the air.