The Lightning were playing with one hand tied behind their back, or one leg, in some cases, in the Stanley Cup Final -- starting with Brayden Point.

Bolts GM Julien BriseBois said the center had a significant quad tear in his leg. He was hurt in Game 7 of the first round against the Leafs and missed 10 games. He returned for Games 1 and 2 of the Final but was a shell of himself and didn't play again. BriseBois said he'll be healthy in a couple of weeks.

Point's injury was one of many for Tampa as they tried to win their third straight Stanley Cup but lost in six games to the Avalanche.

Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper said he expects to go with the same lineup in Game 6 that he used in Game 5, meaning center Brayden Point will miss his fourth straight game of the Stanley Cup Final.

Point skated with the team again ahead of Sunday night's Game 6 in Tampa, with the Colorado Avalanche leading the series 3-2.

The status of a couple of key players remains uncertain for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Colorado coach Jared Bednar says there's a chance Game 1 overtime hero Andre Burakovsky could return Sunday night following a three-game absence from the best-of-seven series. Tampa Bay's Brayden Point figures to be a game-time decision for the two-time defending champion Lightning, too.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Joel Farabee could miss the start of the 2022-23 season after undergoing disk replacement surgery Friday, the team announced Friday.

The Flyers said Farabee is expected to make a full recovery in three to four months, which would put him at risk of missing games when the new season begins in October.

Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Nikita Kucherov and Nick Paul will play in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday, while Brayden Point remains out with an injury.

Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov is likely to play in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday after leaving their Game 3 victory with an injury.

"As I sit right now, I think he can play tomorrow," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said Tuesday. "But I'm not Kuch. If I know Kuch, he's sitting there saying the same thing. But we'll see what the doctors and everybody says."

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point is a game-time decision for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, coach Jon Cooper announced Monday.

Point did not take part in the team's morning skate. He returned to the Lightning lineup in Game 1 against the Colorado Avalanche after missing the previous two rounds, having suffered a lower-body injury on May 14 in Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Colorado's Andre Burakovsky will not travel with the team to Tampa on Sunday after suffering an injury in the Avalanche's 7-0 drubbing of the Lightning in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday.

Coach Jared Bednar said Burakovsky is still being evaluated and would join the Avalanche in Tampa on Monday. His availability for Game 3 remains unknown.

Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom underwent left hip resurfacing surgery Friday, the team announced on social media Saturday.

The surgery was performed in Belgium, the Capitals said, and the veteran forward will begin his rehabilitation and recovery process immediately.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point is "a go" for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, coach Jon Cooper said Wednesday.

Point suffered a lower-body injury after just 5 minutes, 51 seconds of ice time in Game 7 of the Lightning's first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 14.