While the Tampa Bay Lightning remain just one win away from hoisting the Stanley Cup, the team will still be without its captain on the ice.
The Lightning confirmed Sunday afternoon that head coach Jon Cooper deemed Steven Stamkos "done for the series."
Stamkos hadn't taken the ice in nearly seven months after undergoing muscle surgery. He suited up for Game 3 ahead of warm-ups and played for a few minutes on Sept. 23, even scoring a goal in the first seven minutes of the first period.
But, Stamkos did not get back into the action for the second or third period of the contest.
“I wanted to play as much as I could. It's just, obviously, there was an issue that I've been working through, so we'll see what happens from here," Stamkos said last week when asked about his departure.
The Lightning tried to finish the series and claim the Stanley Cup Saturday night but were bested by the Dallas Stars 3-2 in double overtime. It was the Bolts' fourth multiple-overtime game this season.
The Lightning's next shot at the championship is at 8 p.m. Monday.
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