Point perilous for Lightning in Game 6 of East Closing against Islanders
Brayden Point‘s bid for the Tampa Bay Lightning stays unclear heading into Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Closing against the Current York Islanders at Rogers Build in Edmonton on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS).
Tampa Bay didn’t note Wednesday, and coach Jon Cooper talked about he didn’t know when Point shall be available to play after the guts missed a 2-1 double-overtime loss in Game 5 on Tuesday because he become once unfit to play.
“In this fret, I’m hoping or no longer it’s no longer the last time we will see [Point], and we are able to be ready to see him as early as the next day to come night. I form no longer personal the reply for that,” Cooper talked about. “However … we achieve the participant first after which we lawful wander from there.”
The Lightning lead the finest-of-7 sequence and remain one take hold of from advancing to the Stanley Cup Closing to play the Dallas Stars.
After Point missed a 5-3 loss in Game 3 because he become once unfit to play, he returned with a diagram and an abet in a 4-1 take hold of in Game 4 on Sunday in Edmonton, the hub metropolis for the conference finals and Cup Closing. However he left the sport after being hit by Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech with 9: 51 last in the third length.
The Lightning misplaced every recreation Point has missed in the sequence, nevertheless Cooper talked about Tampa Bay can also simply no longer speed him motivate.
“You form no longer desire to position guys in a bid the achieve they’re no longer going to be productive,” Cooper talked about. “Anytime in my historical past of when guys personal been damage, they form no longer play the identical capacity. So regularly it is advisable to present protection to them from themselves.”
Point has scored 25 facets (nine targets, 16 assists) in 16 games to fragment the NHL postseason lead with teammate Nikita Kucherov (six targets, 19 assists in 18 games) and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche (nine targets, 16 assists in 15 games). Point has scored seven facets (three targets, four assists) in three games in the conference closing, along side 5 (two targets, three assists) in an 8-2 Game 1 take hold of.