Tampa Bay Lightning star Brayden Point suffered a leg injury during Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and was unable to finish the game.
The incident occurred late in the first period as Point was chasing a puck on the forecheck. As he turned toward the boards, Point lost his edge and slid awkwardly into the board with his right leg buckling beneath him.
Point was in immediate pain while laying on the ice but eventually skated off the ice while not putting any pressure on his right leg. He rejoined his teammates on the bench to start the second period and took one shift, but was in visible pain. After he returned to the bench, Point was very emotional and his teammates consoled him.
He didn't take another shift but remained on the bench for the rest of the game.
After the game, which the Lightning won 2-1 to advance to Round 2, head coach Jon Cooper didn't have an update on Point's condition.
“He gave it a go,” Cooper said. “He was not going to the room. He was going to stay on the bench the whole time, but he couldn’t go.”
The 26-year-old has been a major contributor to the Lightning's past two championship runs. Through six games in this series, Point had two goals and four points — including the overtime winner in Game 6 to keep the Lightning's season alive.
Victor Hedman praised Point for trying to return to the game and called him "a great motivator."
"Even with the D, he was back there cheering us one," the veteran defenceman said. "That goes a long way and it says everything about our group. We’re a close-knit group. We’ve been through a lot together and it’s a great feeling coming out on top."
Next up for the Lightning is a matchup with state-rival the Florida Panthers, a rematch from last season's first round.
