W2W4: Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 7

2:53 PM ET

PITTSBURGH – Oh, baby. It’s Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning with puck drop set for 8 p.m. ET Thursday at Consol Energy Center. The winner will advance to the Stanley Cup finals, which begin Monday, to face the San Jose Sharks.

Statistics, momentum and everything that goes into a series goes out the window in Game 7. It’s time to empty the tank and leave it all on the ice.

“This is what it’s all about,” said Penguins veteran forward Matt Cullen. “You think back to when you’re playing on the outdoor rinks, and it’s always Game 7. In your basement, it’s always Game 7. This is the game. You dream about opportunities like this. I can tell you, through a long career, you don’t get opportunities like this. It’s right there for us to go grab, and it’s up to us to take advantage of the moment.”

Here’s what to watch for in Game 7:

Can Stamkos go?

The playing status for Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, who has been sidelined since having surgery to remove a blood clot near his collarbone on April 4, has not changed. After the team’s optional skate on Thursday morning, Stamkos was asked if he could put a percentage on the possibility of returning for Game 7 and he said he was done with making predictions. It seems unlikely he’ll return to the lineup on Thursday, but you can never say never.

“We’ve got another game to win tonight and that’s the focus,” Stamkos said. “Guys have done a great job of getting us a chance to be one game away from the Stanley Cup finals. You talk about that at the beginning of the year, [and] especially after what we went through last year, you’d take that every day of the week. We’re excited.”

Tampa Bay goalie Ben Bishop, who suffered a lower-leg injury in Game 1, …

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