Stamkos missed the morning skate but head coach Jon Cooper expects him to play on Tuesday. Cory Conacher was brought up from the AHL in case Stamkos can't play. Stamkos is currently on a five-game point streak, posting two goals and six assists (eight points) during that stretch.
Stamkos missed the final three games of the regular season but it was mostly just to ensure he would be ready for the start of the postseason. Stamkos had another good season, picking up 86 points (27G / 59A) in 78 games and will look forward to actually being healthy for the playoffs this season.
Stamkos will miss his second straight game with a lower-body injury and won’t play on Saturday either. This isn’t surprising as the Lightning obviously want their star centre to be good-to-go for the playoffs. The plan right now is to have Stamkos practice next week ahead of the postseason.
Even though Tuesday’s game is really important for the Lightning, Stamkos just isn’t quite ready to play after re-aggravating a nagging lower-body injury on Sunday. With Stamkos out, Brayden Point will centre the Lighting’s top line with Nikita Kucherov and J.T. Miller.
Stamkos left Sunday’s game against the Predators and did not return. Tomorrow is a crucial game for the Lightning as they play host to their Atlantic Division foe, the Boston Bruins. Monitor Stammer’s status during the Lightning’s morning skate, his availability for that should be directly related to his availability for the game.
This is a tough break for owners who are relying on Stamkos in the finals this week, but it head coach Jon Cooper said it is not a long-term injury. Stamkos is listed as day-to-day and should travel for the Lightning's back-to-back in Boston/New York later this week.
Stamkos continues to practice with the Lightning and took part in line rushes for the second straight game, but will not face the Red Wings tonight. Monitor his status leading up to the Lightning’s back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday.
Stamkos left Tuesday’s game after getting twisted up on the sideboards. Stamkos was unable to put any weight on his leg as he left the ice and the Lightning confirmed the concern that it was a series injury. Stamkos has had a tough time with serious injuries during the last few years. He will undergo surgery for a lateral meniscus tear, but there is no timetable for his return.
Stamkos appeared to twist his knee in the first period of the Lightning's win in Detroit on Tuesday. Stamkos was unable to put any weight on his right leg as he left the ice and headed down the tunnel. Stamkos did not return to the game and returning to Tampa Bay for further evaluation suggests the injury could force him to miss some time.
The Lightning cut it close, signing Stamkos two days before he hit the free agency market. There were a tonne of teams hoping Stamkos would become a free agent, but it looks like he will be with the Lightning through the 2023-24 NHL season. Stamkos missed games at the end of the season with a blood clot issue, but he finished with 36 goals and 28 assists (64 points) in 77 games.
Stamkos left last night's game after taking a knee to the head. Good news that the Lightning captain will be back for Game 4 with this team down 3-0 in the series.
Stamkos has played over 21 minutes in each of his first two games back and said that he felt good. The team says he just took his option; Stamkos said he would pick and choose days to take off.
