Lightning's Brayden Point OUT for Game 2 vs. Panthers

The Tampa Bay Lightning will once again be without one of its best players on Thursday night, as reported by Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas.

Jon Cooper says Brayden Point is out for game 2

— Kyle Bukauskas (@SNkylebukauskas) May 18, 2022

After missing Tampa’s Game 1 victory over the Panthers on Tuesday night, forward Brayden Point will be on the shelf for his second straight contest with a lower-body injury.

After awkwardly twisting his leg, Point left Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. He immediately hit the ice in pain and had trouble finishing his shift. The gritty forward tried to re-enter the game, but the pain was too much, and he left for good. The 28-year-old seems to have injured his groin or knee, but as the NHL tends to do, LBI is all we get.

In seven games in Tampa’s first-round series against the Leafs, Point had two goals and two assists. He had 28 goals and 58 points in 66 games during the regular season.

After stealing Game 1 at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, as +130 moneyline dogs, the Lightning will look for a commanding 2-0 series lead before heading back to Tampa. The odds are again against the defending champs with slightly longer ML odds of +134. Puck drop is at 7:00 PM ET.