Lightning have no update on Nikita Kucherov's injury, status for Game 7

The Tampa Bay Lightning were unable to offer an update on forward Nikita Kucherov or his status for Game 7 against the New York Islanders, Elliott Friedman tweeted on Thursday morning.

Kucherov exited after his very first shift of Tampa Bay's 3-2 overtime loss to New York on Wednesday evening. The Lightning's leading scorer tried to continue his shift after being cross-checked by Isles defenseman Scott Mayfield but toppled over in obvious pain after trying to lay a hit on New York's Mathew Barzal just moments later. Kucherov left the game at the 2:22 mark never to return.

Mayfield went on to score the game-tying goal for the Islanders at the 11:16 mark of the third period. Anthony Beauvillier scored the game-winning goal.

Kucherov's injury remains unspecified, although Lightning head coach Jon Cooper sounded convinced in his post-game comments that the cross-check from Mayfield was responsible for the injury. He was also unhappy the check went unpenalized by the referees.

"It would be weird to say it wasn't malicious," Cooper commented to the press about the check. "I don't think that's in the rule book, that cross-checks have to be malicious. I just know it happened really close to one of the officials, and he didn't see it."

Fellow Lightning forward Steven Stamkos agreed. 

"The play on Kuch, the ref doesn't see it. Probably a guy looking for a cheap shot there," he said. "I think (the refs) said they didn't think it was malicious. They don't have a chance to look at it on replay like we do."

Any kind of injury deals a blow to the Cup-defending Bolts, who were without Kucherov for the entire regular season as he recuperated from preseason hip surgery. Since returning to play in Game 1 of the first round, he leads the NHL with 27 points (five goals, 22 assists) in 17 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"It's next man up," Cooper said of the possibility Kucherov could miss the pivotal Game 7 matchup. "We've been down this path for four months. We won games with him and we won them without him."

Game 7 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders will take place Friday in Florida.