On Sunday, Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper announced that Steven Stamkos will not play in the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Islanders. Stamkos has been out since right before the NHL was paused, and although his return to the first few rounds seemed unlikely, the Lightning were hopeful he would return later in the playoffs.
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1302690347693338626?s=20
Steven Stamkos Will Not Play in the Eastern Conference Final
Stamkos underwent surgery to repair a core muscle injury on March 2nd, after suffering an injury that sidelined him towards the end of the season. He was expected to miss six to eight weeks and was hopeful to return before the Eastern Conference Final. However, it appears that Stamkos’s recovery did not go as fast as was initially planned.
In 57 regular-season games played, Stamkos lit the lamp 29 times and dished out 37 assists, combining for 66 points. In his 12-year career with the Lightning since the 2008-2009 season, the 30-year old has scored 422 goals and put up 410 assists for 832 points through 803 games. Stamkos was selected first-round, first overall in the 2008 draft.
Looking to the Future
The Lightning have been playing very well during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs without Stamkos. Stamkos provided a large amount of offense to the Bolts, but the Lightning offense has been clicking without him. However, not having him back does hurt against the New York Islanders, a very solid defensive team. Players like Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov have stepped up to bolster the Lightning offense, both with over 15 points in only 13 games. Without Stamkos, the Lightning are perfectly capable of winning the series against the Islanders, but having him would have turned the advantage in favor of the Bolts. Missing their first line center, the Lightning’s depth players and star scorers will have to step up to overcome the obstacles the Islanders present.
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