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Bolts’ Drouin to take warmup, could play Game 2

Jonathan Drouin, Carey Price

Jonathan Drouin, Carey Price

AP

Lightning rookie Jonathan Drouin will take the pre-game skate tonight in Tampa Bay and could be an option for Game 2.

The 19-year-old has not played in nearly a month with his last action coming in Game 4 of the Lightning’s second-round series with the Montreal Canadiens.

“They want to trust me in the (defensive) zone, I want to be a player that’s put in any situation,” said Drouin per Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. “I’m working my way up there”

Drouin hasn’t taken part in the team’s pregame skate since he last played, which was back on May 7.

He has appeared in three games in these playoffs registering a minus-4 rating to go along with two penalty minutes while averaging just over 11 minutes in ice time.

“Jo, he’s a talented player. We’ve watched him grow this season,” said Lightning head coach Jon Cooper. “He gives us a different look when he’s in the lineup. It’s hard to sit here and say what you expect.

“We expect our guys to produce, stick to our structure, play as hard as you can, look in the mirror at the end of the day and say, I have no regrets. If he’s in, that’s what I expect.”

It’s uncertain of who may come out of the lineup, but forward Tyler Johnson did leave the team’s morning skate briefly.

He told Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston following the morning skate that there was no doubt about his playing status tonight.

Puck drop on Game 2 is at 7:15 p.m. ET on NBC.

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