The Boston Bruins need a win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday if they're going to earn a high playoff seed from the NHL's round robin, and luckily for the B's, the Bolts will be without their captain and best player.
Lightning center Steven Stamkos won't be in the lineup, Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper told reporters Tuesday.
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Stamkos is recovering from a lower-leg injury suffered during July's Phase 2 team workouts. He also did not play in the Lightning's 3-2 shootout win against the Washington Capitals in their round robin opener on Monday.
The loss of Stamkos is a tough blow for the Lightning. He's one of the league's most talented offensive players, and he's also enjoyed plenty of success versus the Bruins. Stamkos has tallied 34 points (23 goals, 11 assists) in 41 career regular season games against the B's. The veteran center also has posted 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 12 career playoff matchups with the Bruins.
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Injuries have been an issue for Stamkos throughout the 2019-20 campaign. He missed 25 games during the regular season, but still managed to score 66 points (29 goals, 37 assists).
The Bruins lost their first round robin game 4-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers last Sunday. After playing the Lightning, the B's will conclude their round robin schedule Sunday against the Washington Capitals. The order of the round robin standings will determine these four teams' seeds for the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.