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Lightning get Brian Boyle back for Game 2

Detroit Red Wings v Tampa Bay Lightning - Game Seven

Brian Boyle

NHLI via Getty Images

Brian Boyle was something of a surprise scratch in Game 1 due to an undisclosed injury. The Lightning were secretive about his status in the lead up to Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final tonight, but as it turns out he’s good to go.

Boyle was put back into the lineup and is projected to play alongside Brenden Morrow and J.T. Brown on the fourth line. Vladislav Namestnikov, who skated with Morrow and Brown in Game 1, will be a healthy scratch after dressing in 11 of the Lightning’s first 12 playoff contests. Namestnikov was limited to just 6:52 minutes of ice time on Saturday.

By contrast, Boyle has averaged 15:36 minutes per contest in the postseason, including 2:49 in shorthanded situations. The Lightning suffered a 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers in Game 1 without him.

"(Boyle’s) a big part of our team,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after that contest. “He kills penalties for us. He’s a big body. He can wear on teams. Of course we miss him.”

#Lightning Killorn-Filp-Stamkos, Triplets, March-Pacq-Callahan, Morrow-Boyle-Brown. Hedman-Stralman, Garrison-Coburn, Carle-Sustr. Bishop

— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) May 18, 2015

Related:

On second thought, Game 1 made Lightning’s Cooper ‘want to vomit’

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