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Brayden Point misses game against Rangers with lower-body injury

Lightning center played entire game against Islanders, ruled day-to-day
 
Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) is named the number one star of the game with two goals in a 4 to 0 shut out victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019.
Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) is named the number one star of the game with two goals in a 4 to 0 shut out victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019.
Published Feb. 3, 2019|Updated Feb. 3, 2019

NEW YORK — Brayden Point missed his first game in more than two years Saturday.

The Lightning’s leading goal scorer sat out against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden with a lower-body injury. The team ruled Point day-to-day.

Point didn’t miss a shift in regulation or overtime in the 1-0 shootout win against the Islanders on Friday night. He did not participate in the shootout, but only two Lightning players did, Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. There was no indication of an injury to Point.

The last game Point didn’t play in was on Jan. 26, 2017, in his rookie season, again because of an injury. He missed 14 games after being hit in one hand. Those were the only games he had missed in his three-year NHL career until Saturday.

Point leads the team with 30 goals and is having his best season yet.

Without Point, the Lightning shuffled the lines against the Rangers. Kucherov moved from Point’s line to the top line with Ondrej Palat and Steven Stamkos. Tyler Johnson centered Mathieu Joseph and Yanni Gourde on the second line. The third and fourth lines stay the same: Anthony Cirelli centering Alex Killorn and J.T. Miller, Cedric Paquette with Adam Erne and Ryan Callahan.

On the power play, Johnson stepped into Point’s spot, keeping with a right-handed shot.