TAMPA, Fla. — 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.
The Avalanche lead the series 3-2, despite being without Burakovsky since the forward suffered a hand injury blocking a shot in Game 2.
“Burky is still considered day to day,” Bednar said in Denver on Saturday before the Avalanche boarded a flight for Florida.
“I think he’s a possibility for us, he’s traveling with us,” Bednar added, “so he may be in the lineup.”
Burakovsky scored in overtime to give Colorado a 4-3 victory in Game 1, then had a goal and an assist before departing Game 2, which the Avalanche won 7-0. He remained in Denver, while the team traveled to Florida for Games 3 and Game 4, and then sat out Game 5 at home.
Bednar also said that forwards J.T. Compher and Valeri Nichushkin are OK and will be in the lineup for Game 6 after getting “checked out” for injuries after the Game 5 loss. Both are key cogs to the Colorado attack. Nichushkin has nine goals and 15 points this postseason. Compher has five and eight.
Point, Tampa Bay’s leading goal scorer the past two postseasons, has been limited since suffering a lower body injury during Game 7 of the Lightning’s first-round victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Point missed 10 games before returning to the lineup for Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. Overall, he’s missed 13 games of the Lightning’s last 15 games.