Lightning’s Brayden Point out for Game 3 vs. Avalanche

TAMPA — Star center Brayden Point is out for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final tonight at Amalie Arena. The Avalanche lead the best-of-seven series 2-0.

Point was one of two players absent from this morning’s full-team skate — coach Jon Cooper said then that he was a game-time decision — along with goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who will start in net.

Forward Riley Nash, who has drawn in as the 12th forward since Point left the lineup, was on the ice for pregame warmups. Nash played the final four games of the Eastern Conference final against the Rangers.

During the morning skate, Corey Perry filled in on the slot position on the top power-play unit, where Point typically plays. Perry scored two power-play goals with that unit earlier in the postseason.

Point, who led the NHL with 14 goals each of the past two postseasons, missed 10 games with a lower-body injury sustained during Game 7 of the opening round before returning for the first game of the Cup final.

He picked up one assist while averaging 17:20 over the first two games of this series. Earlier in the playoffs, he had two goals and two assists in the seven-game, first-round victory over the Maple Leafs.

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