"Hopefully a little rest here will help him out," Cooper said of his first-line center. "He's not going to play tonight. But this is more maintenance for him in getting him to 100 percent. He's not quite there yet."
"Ultimately making sure our team is healthy down the stretch is of the utmost importance. We wouldn't be in this situation here if we didn't feel like it was necessary to get guys 100 percent healthy, and that's what we are going to do. As I said, there are no long-term fears in this situation, but we want to make sure our guys are healthy."
The Lightning (51-20-4) have clinched a Stanley Cup Playoff berth and lead the Boston Bruins by two points for first place in the Atlantic Division. They are one point behind the Nashville Predators in the race for the Presidents' Trophy as the top team in the NHL.
Stamkos is tied with Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar for sixth in the NHL with 86 points (27 goals, 59 assists).
