Injured Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos was scheduled to practice Monday but decided to "err on the side of caution" after his right leg didn't feel right. Team reporter Missy Zielinski revealed that Stamkos briefly came out on the ice before saying his leg "didn't feel the best."
Stamkos broke that right leg in a Nov. 11 game against the Boston Bruins and underwent surgery the following day. He's seemingly made rapid progress in his comeback, which he hopes will put him back in the Lightning lineup prior to the start of the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Despite being hurt, Stamkos was named to Hockey Canada's roster for Sochi.
"Whenever it doesn't feel good, it's a little frustrating," Stamkos told the Tampa Bay Times on Monday. "But I've not gone through something like this before, so when things don't feel well, you want answers right away, and you want to know how to fix it. But it's not necessarily that easy.
"It's been tough, the days it doesn't feel good, especially after the strides that I've taken and how good I felt on the ice the other day. But you have to be smart with this. I thought today was a smart decision and we'll see how it feels tomorrow."
Stamkos and coach Jon Cooper both said it was not a setback, and Stamkos will still accompany the team on a road trip that begins Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"I can't sit here and say that's a setback," Cooper said. "A setback would be he's not coming on the trip, but he's coming on the trip."
In 17 games this season, Stamkos has 14 goals and 23 points.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.