TAMPA, Fla. — If the Rangers needed another reason to do everything possible to put away the Lightning as fast as possible, here was Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper speaking Tuesday morning on Brayden Point’s availability.

“If it goes seven [games] then optimism stays up,” Cooper said. “If it is a five-game series, it’s a little dicier. So it’s just time. It’s just gonna take time.”

The loss of Point, who suffered a lower-body injury in Game 7 of Tampa Bay’s first-round victory over the Maple Leafs, has had a pronounced effect on the Lightning against the Rangers. Without him, Cooper played 11 forwards and seven defensemen in the first two games at Madison Square Garden, and went to a configuration with Steven Stamkos playing center to start Game 3.

Point was one of Tampa Bay’s best players in their Cup-winning runs over the last two seasons, leading the team with 14 goals in both the 2020 and 2021 postseasons. He’s been skating recently, including at an optional morning skate ahead of Tuesday’s Game 4.

The Lightning navigated his absence just fine in the second round, when they blew away the Panthers in four games, but the Rangers have posed a larger problem. Particularly in New York, where Cooper can’t match his checking line up with the Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad-led top line, having Point back figures to make a huge difference if he’s not severely hampered by injury.

Cooper’s prognosis on Tuesday morning was decidedly more optimistic than earlier in the series, when he said he would temper any expectations of Point returning.

With a five-game Rangers victory still a possibility headed into Tuesday’s game, the Blueshirts could still prevent such a scenario by winning out. And even if the series does go seven, optimism at this point is just that — there is still every chance that Point is up in the press box for the entire series, regardless of how long.

“I’m pretty sure it’s been tough the whole time on him,” Cooper said. “What’s it been, three weeks? … It’s a pretty grueling time when you want to be out there with your teammates and you have to sit back there and watch. I think with every win it probably feels a little bit better for him, but it’s a tough time regardless if it’s Day 1 or Day 21.

“So we feel for him, but he makes progress every day. So I think when you start getting closer, maybe the anticipation gets a little bit more. So hopefully we can see him at some point, but it’s definitely not [Game 4].”