Brayden Point's recovery from a lower-body injury has progressed enough that the Tampa Bay Lightning center could play in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

"I can honestly answer this question with 'I don't know,'" coach Jon Cooper said before the Lightning flew to New York on Wednesday. "I'll find out when I get on the plane, so I'll have an answer for you tomorrow. But now we're getting into the point where I don't know if there will be definitive outs. 

"I'd be surprised if he plays this next game, honestly, but I'm not going to sit here and say he's out for the series anymore."