When Ryan Callahan had his appendix removed Monday night, concerns grew about how long the Tampa Bay Lightning forward would be out of action.
Turns out, it might not be long at all.
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Callahan was on the ice on Thursday with his teammates preparing for the Stanley Cup playoffs' Eastern Conference finals. And for good reason: The Lightning's opponent is Callahan's former team, the New York Rangers.
Whether Callahan will play in Saturday's opening game of the Lightning-Rangers series is in doubt.
He's Ryan Callahan. It's what he does. https://t.co/RZWCdi11E2
— Kels (@NYRKelsMads) May 14, 2015Hey, did u hear about Ryan Callahan's appendectomy? The doc came in to give him a painkiller & Callahan blocked the shot #Illbehereallnight
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) May 14, 2015There's tough and then there's Ryan Callahan. #BoltsSocial #NHLPlayoffs
— Richard Studebaker (@RichardSTUD) May 14, 2015Jon Cooper isn't sure if Ryan Callahan will play Saturday but also didn't rule him out. Callahan said he's day-to-day #TBLightning
— John Sabol (@John_Sabol) May 14, 2015Before Tuesday's Game 6 against the Montreal Canadiens, Lightning coach Jon Cooper never ruled Callahan out — despite having surgery hours earlier. Now the question is, will Callahan play against the Rangers?
An appendectomy likely means Callahan would miss the Eastern finals. However, "I would put [Callahan] closer to the days than the weeks," Cooper said Tuesday, via the Tampa Bay Times.
Long a member of the Rangers, Callahan was acquired by the Lightning at the 2014 trade deadline. Now he and other players in the deal face each other.
Marty St. Louis, Ryan Callahan, Anton Stralman, Brian Boyle and Dan Boyle will all face their former team in the Eastern Conference final.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 14, 2015Cooper plans to watch Callahan skate on Friday before making further evaluation for Saturday's Game 1 against the Rangers.
"It was a light skate, nothing too physically demanding," Cooper said of Thursday's workout. "He wanted to touch the ice and he hadn't been on the ice since Game 5, so he's needed to get on at some point."