Lightning forward Point 'extremely probable' for Stanley Cup final
Panthers jettison assistant coaches Ulf Samuelsson and Derek MacKenzie
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point is in line to make his return to the lineup in the Stanley Cup final.
It remains to be seen if that's the series opener against the host Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday in Denver at 8 p.m. ET.
"I don't know about the probability of Game 1, but it's extremely probable that he will play in the series," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said following his team's 2-1 win over the host New York Rangers on Saturday in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final.
Point, 26, recorded 28 goals and 58 points in 66 regular-season games. In seven playoff games, he had two goals and four points.
With 30 career playoff goals, no player has scored more goals over the past three NHL post-seasons.
Point has been sidelined with a lower-body injury since Game 7 of a first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 14.
WATCH l Avs sweep Oilers on Lehkonen OT goal:
Panthers reportedly dismiss 2 assistant coaches
The Florida Panthers have parted ways with assistant coaches Ulf Samuelsson and Derek MacKenzie, NHL Network reported on Sunday.
The report comes at a curious time considering the Presidents' Trophy-winning Panthers set franchise records for wins (58) and points (122) this season.
To boot, interim head coach Andrew Brunette was a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy, which recognizes the head coach who has "contributed the most to his team's success," won by Calgary's Darryl Sutter.
Samuelsson, 58, has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with Florida. He held the same position with Chicago from 2017-18.
MacKenzie, 41, has spent the past three campaigns as an assistant coach with the Panthers.
