Lightning's Steven Stamkos: Effectively ruled out Tuesday

Stamkos (upper body) said he experienced his "best day yet on ice" Tuesday, but added that his status hasn't changed for the evening's Game 6 against the Penguins, Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Analysis:

The Lightning have a chance to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals on Tuesday, and it appears that they'll be without Stammer yet again. A win would be huge for Stamkos and company, not only because it would mean they'd reach the Cup finals for the second straight year, but also because it could buy extra time for the star to finally get healthy. It's been reported that once Stamkos is given medical clearance to stop using blood thinners, his return would then be imminent.