TAMPA - Every day feels a little like Groundhog Day for Steven Stamkos.

As the Tampa Bay Lightning continue to march through the playoffs, reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the second consecutive season, Stamkos goes through his same daily routine.
He wakes up, eats breakfast, gets a shot of blood thinners, comes to the rink to put in a workout, go on the ice for a skate before head home (or back to the team hotel) and does - nothing.

That's it. For the next several hours, he sits around and waits for game time without the chance to play.

The routine has been the same routine for the past month. And each time he steps on the ice, the same question comes up in everybody's mind - when is he going to be able to play?

Stamkos' situation has become a major story line each day for the media to chip away at, looking to see if something - anything - has changed on his status. Each day the answer remains the same - he has not been cleared to play.

It's as if the particular line of questioning has turned in to some bizzaro Seinfeld episode - a story line about nothing. And until it changes, it remains unchanged.

Since undergoing vascular surgery to remove his top rib and some muscle near his right collarbone to alleviate a blood clot, Stamkos was expected to miss 1-3 months. He underwent the procedure on April 4.

But Stamkos is dealing with such a unique situation, there is no set time frame for him to receive clearance. This is not a bruise, it's not a ligament or even a broken bone - something Stamkos knows all to well about. That's why the recovery time is so vague.

So he just continues to go about his daily routine, hoping that the day comes before the season ends that he will be told the risk to return is no more and he can be back out on the ice.

"There is a reason why I'm still working extremely hard, because there is still a chance, so I'll continue to do that,'' Stamkos said.

On Thursday, after going through a full practice with the team and taking reps on the fourth line as Brian Boyle did not skate, Stamkos was hit with the same line of questioning about his status. He mentioned at the time that there was a five-percent chance he could play on Friday, making sure the window was at least left open a crack.

That was quickly bumped down to zero chance as soon as he came off the ice for the morning optional skate ahead of Game 4. Which means his return to the lineup in these playoffs has still not been ruled out.

And as long as that chance remains, he will go through the same routine, going through the morning regiment, returning home for an afternoon of playing with the dog or going for walk or napping on the couch. He returns to the rink on game days to get in an additional workout and receive his second shot of blood thinners - which are administered 12 hours apart - and watch his teammates try and keep the season alive in search of a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

"The first two weeks were tough to deal with, but you've come to terms with it now and you just keep putting in the work,'' Stamkos said. "The toughest part is going out there and putting in that work not knowing if it's was going to be worth it.''

And that all comes down to ensuring his safety is at the forefront of any decision that may - or may not - lean the way he wants to go.

"It's different when it's pain you are going through because I have no pain,'' he said. "It's more frustrating because it's just not safe. There is a big difference between playing through pain and playing through (putting) your life at risk. It's easier to comprehend from that point.
"I've played through a lot of pain, a lot of hockey players play through pain. I don't have any pain and that's the toughest part is physically feeling ready but internally not being ready. I can't feel or see that, that's been the toughest part.''

It's all about being educated and understanding how this plays out. Even if nothing changes and it remains a story with nothing doing.

Morning notes:
Goaltender Ben Bishop took part in Friday's optional morning skate, but is not ready to return to the lineup for Game 4. He did not take part in every drill, working off to the side with goaltender coach Frantz Jean before taking some reps. ... The ice at Amalie Arena was sectioned off for the morning skate with area around the net closest to the visiting team's bench closed off for repairs from a minor leak that developed. The league said the issue was expected to be cleared up well before game time and was not expected to interfere with the start of the game. ... Pittsburgh RW Patrick Hornqvist, who left Game 3 after taking a shot off his hand, was on the ice for the morning skate and Penguins' head coach Mike Sullivan indicated Hornqvist is available to play.

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