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Lightning sit Filppula against Canadiens for missing meeting

Josh Cooper
TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 22: Tampa Bay Lightning center Valtteri Filppula (51) skates with the puck in the first period of the NHL game between the St. Louis Blues and the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 22, 2016, at Amalie Arena in Tampa Florida. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Tampa Bay Lightning center Valtteri Filppula (51) skates with the puck in the first period of the NHL game between the St. Louis Blues and the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 22, 2016, at Amalie Arena in Tampa Florida. (Getty Images)

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Valtteri Filppula was scratched for the team’s Wednesday game against the Montreal Canadiens because he missed a morning meeting, the Lightning announced.

Filppula reportedly took part of the team’s line rushes during their Wednesday morning skate. Coming into the game against the Habs, Filppula was Tampa’s third-leading scorer with 24 points in 34 games.

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“In the end, Val is an unreal pro. He made a mistake,” coach Jon Cooper said after Tampa’s 4-3 overtime win over Montreal. “That’s it.”

Cooper said that the 32-year-old Filppula will be in the lineup for his team’s next game, Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Wednesday was the first time that Filppula, the Lightning’s oldest player, had been a healthy scratch in his three-plus seasons with the team.

With the victory over the Canadiens, the Lightning pulled to within one point of the Boston Bruins for the last playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. Tampa has 39 points while the Bruins have 40 points.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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