Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point missed practice this morning and remains a game-time decision tonight as the Bolts battle the Detroit Red Wings.
The Tampa Bay Lightning is definitely no stranger to injuries and/or illnesses. In fact, the 2016-17 season was essentially consumed by them. As the Lightning headed into the 2017-18 season, the team hoped it had left the woes of the previous season behind them. Unfortunately, those woes keep trying to creep in.
Tonight, the Lightning not only head out on the road for their first official road trip of the season, but they also kick off their second back-to-back series of the season. Of course, it makes perfect sense this battle would come against one of the Lightning’s more heated rivals, the Detroit Red Wings.
Unfortunately, there is a chance the Lightning could take the ice at the Little Caesars Arena tonight without the help of one of their most offensively sound players. According to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper has stated forward Brayden Point will be a game-time decision.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The good news here is this isn’t due to any sort of long-term (or short-term, for that matter) injury. According to Cooper, Point is feeling “under the weather.” Whether people like it or not, once school season kicks into high gear, there is always something going around, and people start to feel the effects of what we like to refer to as the plague.
There is some good news here, though. According to Smith, Cooper is fairly confident Point will be able to play tonight. The game-time decision seems to be more of a precautionary thing “just in case” something happens to get worse or Point doesn’t feel as if he’ll be able to go.
Losing a player like Point, even if only for a handful of games, would be incredibly detrimental to the Lightning at this early point in the season. Currently, Brayden Point is tied with last year’s scoring leader Nikita Kucherov for first place on the team in overall points with eight.
As if the prospect of losing Point tonight isn’t quite bad enough, the Lightning are embarking on their second back-to-back series of the season. In other words, if Point isn’t well enough to go tonight, there is a possibility (albeit a small one) he may not be able to go tomorrow night as the Bolts battle the New Jersey Devils.
Fortunately, this is all speculation at the moment. There is still the very real possibility Brayden Point will be well enough to take the ice with his teammates tonight in Motown. As game time nears, the bigger picture will undoubtedly come into view and fans will know which direction this situation will eventually take.
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The puck is scheduled to drop at 7:30 p.m. EST. Make sure to stay connected to Bolts By The Bay as we bring you all the latest news and updates from tonight’s game and so much more. The Lightning may be miles away, but they still need their Thunder. Let’s get ready to cheer so loud the team can hear us all the way in Detroit.