Forward Alex Killorn, who hasn't played since taking a puck off his skate in Game 1, has been ruled out as the Tampa Bay Lightning try to clinch the Stanley Cup on home ice against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Unlike Game 4, Killorn was not on the ice for warmups prior to Wednesday's game. He also did not take part in an optional skate on Wednesday morning.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper earlier in the day said Killorn was "in the same situation" and was "probably doubtful" to play against the Canadiens.
Cooper said the Lightning wouldn't have any lineup changes if Killorn was ruled out. After Tyler Johnson spent time in Killorn's spot on the wing with Steven Stamkos and Anthony Cirelli for Games 2 and 3, winger Ross Colton moved up to skate with them in Game 4. Johnson returned to center on the team's fourth line with Pat Maroon and Mathieu Joseph, which generated the tying goal in the third period before Montreal won in overtime to prevent a Tampa Bay sweep.
Killorn is not only a key offensive forward for the Lightning but also a valuable special teams player who contributes to the first power-play unit and on the penalty kill.
"He's a great player. He's got his fingerprints all over this team," said winger Blake Coleman. "He's great 5-on-5 and a good puck possession guy. He's physical. There's not many things he doesn't do for us. We certainly miss him when he's not in the lineup, but thankfully we have a 'next man up' mentality and a lot of depth in this room. But there are certainly areas where his presence is missed."
With a win in Game 5, the Lightning would become the first home team to raise the Stanley Cup since 2015, when they watched the Blackhawks celebrate in Chicago. Tampa Bay is 14-0 in the playoffs after a loss since the start of the 2020 tournament.