Lightning's Ryan Callahan misses game after appendectomy

TAMPA (AP) — Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Ryan Callahan sat out Game 6 of the team's playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens after undergoing an emergency appendectomy.

The team said Monday night that Callahan was sent to Tampa General Hospital after experiencing abdominal pain earlier in the day.

Coach Jon Cooper said Tuesday morning that he wasn't ruling anything out on Callahan's availability but called him "extremely doubtful" for the game.

"How long is the game from now?" he said during his morning news conference. "He's a pretty tough kid."

Cooper added: "It's going to be a pain tolerance thing. We'll see what happens."

Callahan, however, was unable to play and Jonathan Marchessault took his place in the lineup.

Callahan leads the Lightning with a plus-7 rating and has no goals and three assists in 12 playoff games. He is tied for the team lead with 42 hits. He had 24 goals and 30 assists in 77 regular-season games.

"He's a leader on our team," Cooper said. "He plays with passion and grit."

Cooper said he hasn't talked to Callahan since he was released from the hospital but had done research on appendectomies.

"Knowing how tough Callahan is, I'll put him closer to days (out) than weeks," he said.

The Lightning lead the series against Montreal 3-2 but have lost two in a row.

"Ryan Callahan plays 15 to 20 minutes a night," Cooper said. "Someone is going to have to take those minutes and run with them."

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