Stamkos to remain sidelined Friday vs. Sabres

Steven Stamkos needs a little more rest.

The Tampa Bay Lightning captain won't play Friday versus the Buffalo Sabres, marking his second straight missed game due to a nagging lower-body injury, coach Jon Cooper confirmed to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.

Counting this contest, Stamkos will have missed three of the last six games, but the hope remains that some extra time off will have him rested and ready for the playoffs.

The Lightning have clinched a postseason berth, but their first-round playoff opponent remains undetermined. Tampa Bay has picked up 110 points on the season and sits atop the Atlantic Division, ahead of the Boston Bruins by virtue of a tiebreaker.

Following the game against the Sabres, the Lightning will close out their regular-season schedule Saturday versus the Carolina Hurricanes.