Ah yes, the playoffs -- where injury information is guarded with the kind of zeal normally reserved for the Secret Service.
On Monday, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper offered virtually nothing on the status of injured forward Brian Boyle, who (somewhat surprisingly) missed Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Rangers with an upper-body injury.
“The update is there is no update,” Cooper said on Monday.
The Bolts further added to the mystery by having Boyle skate this morning, followed by an “organizational decision” to keep him away from reporters afterward. There was no word if he’d draw in for Game 2 or not.
The towering fourth-line center has been a key contributor for Tampa Bay this spring. He appeared in all 13 playoff games prior to Saturday’s 2-1 loss at MSG and, while he only has two points, Boyle has been good in the faceoff circle, sitting third on the team in draws taken (162) and in winning percentage (53.7).
The former Ranger also has a wealth of playoff experience, with 71 games on his resume.
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