Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said, since the start of the playoffs, the season wasn’t over until both Anton Stralman and Steven Stamkos had a chance to step on the ice and play a game.
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Back down in Tampa, the team was planning to hold another giant watch party for fans who wanted to watch with other supporters of the Bolts. Our guys will concentrate on winning Game 7.
Immediately, fans of the Lightning were up in arms over the move.
The Lightning are used to playing under the pressure of a Game 7, as they advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals a year ago by beating the Rangers in NY. Maybe Stamkos can’t play and the Lightning are teasing the possibility that he could in the hope that it will make things just a little tougher for Pittsburgh to prepare. Stamkos hasn’t played in any playoff games this season. He played 6:29 of the first 40 minutes. “So it’s not cut in stone, the outcome of the game, no matter if you’re down a goal or two”.
Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stops a shot during the first period of Game 7 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Thursday, May 26, 2016, in Pittsburgh. The Penguins will face the Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks beginning Monday night at home in Pittsburgh.
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Pittsburgh Penguins’ Bryan Rust, center, celebrates with teammate Evgeni Malkin (71) after scori … He played the game of his life and he didn’t quit on the play. “If he’s not, it’s because he was ineligible to play”, Cooper added. “But Game 7 is Game 7”.
