Lightning's Kucherov suffers undisclosed injury in Game 6 loss

Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov suffered an undisclosed injury early in the first period of Wednesday's Game 6 against the New York Islanders and did not return.

Lightning head coach Jon Cooper offered no update following his team's 3-2 overtime loss.

Kucherov took a heavy cross-check from Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield before departing. Mayfield wasn't penalized on the play.

Here's a closer look at the play:

"Probably a guy looking for a cheap shot there," Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said of the cross-check, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith. Stamkos added the refs told him they didn't consider Mayfield's actions "malicious."

Cooper said postgame he couldn't confirm whether the refs told him Mayfield's cross-check wasn't malicious.

"I don't think that's in the rule book, that cross-checks have to be malicious," Cooper told reporters. "I just know it happened really close to one of the officials. He didn't see it. Move on."

Kucherov also looked to be in discomfort after taking a run at Mathew Barzal later in the same shift. The 28-year-old left the game almost immediately afterward.

The 2019 Hart Trophy winner entered Wednesday's action leading all skaters with 27 points this postseason.