TAMPA – Brayden Point could return to play with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but coach Jon Cooper wouldn’t give a date.
“It’s hard for me to say right now because I don’t even know when the next round is going to start,” Cooper said Friday. Is Point closer to a comeback in the third round than in the second? No doubt about it. He is progressing, but that remains to be seen. »
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Point was injured in the first period of Game 7 of the opening round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 14. The forward was chasing the puck, racing towards the boards in the offensive zone, when the defender Mark Giordano attempted to play the puck with his stick. Point’s right leg twisted as he slipped into the boards. Point returned to the game before quitting again and hasn’t played or practiced since.
“There’s a plan,” Cooper said when asked when Point will start skating again. “We’ll let you know when it gets going. »
The Lightning haven’t played since sweeping the Florida Panthers in the second round on Monday. He will face the Carolina Hurricanes or the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Carolina leads the best-of-seven series 3-2, and Game 6 is Saturday.
The captain Steven Stamkos is very well placed to understand what Point is going through. He missed the first 16 games of the 2016 playoffs before coming back in a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7 of the Eastern Finals.
Stamkos also missed nearly every playoff in 2020, after aggravating a core muscle injury. He returned for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Dallas Stars and made five appearances, scoring on his only shot of the game in a 5-2 win.
“It’s the worst feeling for an athlete to not be able to play, especially at this time of year,” Stamkos said. The whole group is unhappy for Pointer. We know how important he is to our team, the caliber of player he is and what he has achieved. He commands so much respect in the locker room. He is a warrior on the ice and he is working extremely hard to come back. »
Point has four points (two goals, two assists) in seven playoff games. He’s led the playoffs in goals for the past two years, scoring 14 times in 2021 and also in 2020 to help the Lightning win the Stanley Cup twice in a row. He also finished second in points (56), behind his teammate Nikita Kucherov (66).
The Lightning have proven they can win without Stamkos in 2020. So far, the Lightning have continued to prove they can adapt without one of their best players in the roster.
Video: TOR@TBL, #6: Point levels the series in overtime
“We just hope there’s enough time for him to come back and play by the end of the playoffs,” Stamkos added. Rest is good. It’s crazy to think we lost it early in Game 7. There’s probably not a lot of people who thought we were going to win Game 7 and sweep Florida without one of our best players, l one of the best in the world. You have to give credit to the whole group for sticking together and playing a certain way. »
Even if Point does not play, the striker Alex Killorn indicated that he remains in the entourage of the team and that he has a positive influence on the group.
“Pointer is a great player to be around,” Killorn said. The longer we play, the more likely he is to join us. I can’t say that’s where all our energies are focused, but we understand that it’s a possibility. Of course, that’s something we think about. »
