EDMONTON — The Tampa Bay Lightning have won the last seven games Brayden Point played.
So it’s notable that he’s considered a “game-time decision,” according to head coach Jon Cooper, with Tampa trying to book a spot in the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night.
Point’s status looms large heading into another potential close-out game against the New York Islanders. He’s had a massive impact on the Eastern Conference Final — racking up seven points in the five and a half periods he’s managed to get on the ice.
The Lightning have been nowhere near as dangerous without him, and lost Games 3 and 5 in this series while he watched in street clothes. The exact nature of Point’s injury is unknown, but it appears to be affecting the lower body. He had difficulty climbing over the boards after taking a hit in Game 2 and struggled to get back on his feet after Adam Pelech leaned on him during Game 4.
Point has been playing at a level worthy of Conn Smythe Trophy consideration throughout these playoffs. He’s compiled 25 points in just 16 games, more than any player managed in the post-season last year.
But Cooper made it clear that the Lightning will put a player’s interest above their own when assessing an injury situation.
“There’s a difference between injured and being hurt,” said Cooper. “There’s a difference between when you’re fighting through pain on an injury that it can’t get any worse or if you’re fighting through something that if you do one wrong thing this could linger on longer and longer.
“There’s so many different variables that go into it and those are what you have to manage and the player has to manage.”
With Steven Stamkos also sidelined throughout this summer tournament, the Lightning are down 54 goals of regular-season production.
Anthony Cirelli has taken Point’s spot between Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov on the top line, but he’s been held off the scoresheet in this series.
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Goals will likely be at a premium on Thursday given what’s at stake. The Islanders are a committed, hard-working team that will put their hard hats on and try to grind out a victory that forces a winner-take-all Game 7.
The Lightning’s core is no stranger to these situations after playing in the conference final four of the last six years. They’ve missed on their last five opportunities to book a trip to the Stanley Cup Final — albeit with different rosters in 2017 and 2018 than the one that lost 2-1 in double overtime here on Tuesday night.
One of the messages Cooper has delivered to his team behind closed doors is to have trust in what they’re doing.
“It’s more or less just staying on task and trusting your system, your teammates, yourself,” he said. “Not chasing games if you’re behind. Not trying to build on leads when you’re way ahead and sacrifice in your own end for offence. …
“You get a little wiser as you go through these and you’ve got to use that to your advantage.”
Having Point could be a game-changing advantage, too, but it’s anyone’s guess if he’ll actually play. The only guarantee is he’s doing everything in his power to be ready. He’s a competitor that wouldn’t pass up the chance to play lightly.
“If it’s Game 25 of the regular season or if it’s Game 6 of the conference final, I think those are probably weighted a little differently as well,” said Cooper. “But in the end it’s the player we care about the most and if we’re going to put the player in harm’s way we will not play him.
“But if they do play it’s justified why they’re playing because they’ve gone through all the steps.”
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