The Tampa Bay Lightning will be without one of their stars tonight as they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at home, missing forward Brayden Point. Point is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, says Mari Faiello of the Tampa Bay Times (link). According to The Athletic’s Joe Smith, Point had had a maintenance day yesterday (link), however seeing Point out with injury is still somewhat surprising news.
This isn’t the first game Point has missed due to injury this year, having already missed 14 previously. While the Lightning have clinched a playoff berth, their position still remains to be decided. Sitting at 100 points through 77 games, they are just one point ahead of the Boston Bruins and three ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins, both whom have also played 77 games and hold the first and second Wild Card positions in the Eastern Conference respectively. Even one game without Point can have significant implications for the Lightning, especially against a difficult opponent in the Maple Leafs.
On the bright side, Point’s injury does not appear to be serious, with the forward considered day-to-day. Coming on the heels of a maintenance day, his absence could be merely cautionary with the playoffs just around the corner. In 62 games this season, Point has 27 goals and 28 assists, yet another stellar season for the 26-year-old.