Nikita Kucherov left Game 5 after this collision. (USATSI)
Nikita Kucherov left Game 5 after this collision. (USATSI)

It is often said that the Stanley Cup Playoffs is a war of attrition. The wear and tear the seven-plus weeks of continuous hockey affects every team that is lucky enough to play this late in the season. The Tampa Bay Lightning, a team with not a lot of postseason experience, is finding out just how grueling the postseason can be.

Over 25 games, with each series going at least six games during the 2015 playoffs, the Lightning have picked up dings and dents throughout the playoffs, but they're starting to add up at the worst possible time. Goaltender Ben Bishop is clearly hobbled by a lower-body injury of some kind that cost him the end of Game 2 and all of Game 4. The big man gutted out impressive performances while laboring through Games 3 and 5. Leading scorer Tyler Johnson hasn't taken a faceoff since Game 2, leading to questions of his being hurt though he denies any injury.

Then in Game 5, the Lightning suffered a big loss before eventually losing the game, too. Second leading scorer and dynamic winger Nikita Kucherov left the game after three shifts following his collision with Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford and the unforgiving goal post. Kucherov left the game and though was never officially ruled out by the team, did not return. His status for Game 6 is in doubt now.

Here's what the incident looked like from the net cam ... which is to say it looked like it really, really hurt:

Kucherov went from an amazing scoring opportunity to out of the game in a split second.

After the game, head coach Jon Cooper said he was under the impression that Kucherov would return to the game, but he didn't. Kucherov is expected to be evaluated further before his status for Game 6 will be determined. In keeping with the theme of these playoffs, the Lightning are unlikely to fill anyone in on whether he'll play or not until the team takes the ice for warmups Monday.

If Kucherov is out and Johnson is banged up, that's two-thirds of the famed Triplets line that at the very least won't be at 100 percent for a must-win game as the Lightning face ending their season without picking up the big shiny trophy.

Johnson has two points in this series and leads all players with 23 in the playoffs. Kucherov is second with 22 points, including three in the Stanley Cup Final. There's no overstating their impact.

Having the team's most consistent offensive line hobbled and the starting goaltender's movement being limited by a mysterious ailment is not the best feeling heading into Game 6. That's not to mention the other various maladies that have been concealed throughout the postseason.

The Lightning have no choice other than to dig deep and find the resiliency they've been crowing about all postseason. The claim of resilience is well earned as they came back from a 3-2 deficit against the Detroit Red Wings. They bested the New York Rangers on the road in two crucial games during the Eastern Conference Final, and they've made late pushes throughout the Stanley Cup Final.

If Kucherov is out, however, we saw how different the team can look when they can't keep their most consistent line together. The balance was off. Jonathan Drouin spotted in for a few shifts with Johnson and Ondrej Palat -- the third triplet, as did Steven Stamkos who really needs to find a way to score.

It was actually quite fortuitous that head coach Jon Cooper decided to dress 12 forwards in Game 5 instead of going with seven defensemen and 11 up front as he has done so often. He can go back to the 11-7 format in Game 6, but it means more ice time out of necessity for Drouin. The rookie has a bright future in the game, but he has had a few rough moments in this series in particular and may not have earned a lot of trust yet.

That uncertainty only means that the team needs more out of its biggest star. Stamkos has come so close to scoring goals, but hasn't had a puck cross the goal line in this series. He's one of the best players in the world at what he does and simply needs to be better. He said as much after Game 5.

The interesting thing is that Stamkos hasn't really had any of Chicago's forward lines specifically focused on him. Defensemen Duncan Keith and/or Brent Seabrook are usually out there against him a lot, but in general he hasn't had to fight through tighter matchups. Everyone is playing him well, but when he's not out against Chicago's best defensive groups, he has to deliver.

Stamkos' lack of scoring is a huge concern, but it's his not getting any shots on goal that really is shocking. After posting five shots on goal in Game 1, he has had seven total during the next four games. Maybe he has nicked up himself, but whatever the case, the Lightning's losses to injury can be offset by a big night from the captain.

As great a scorer as Stamkos is, it's not as simple as snapping his fingers. The Lightning have had players step up throughout the postseason to deliver a big goal here and there, and it's never been more important for someone -- anyone -- to play hero.

The Lightning's road to the Stanley Cup is going to be made harder with Chicago owning the opportunity to clinch the title on home ice for the first time since 1938. This group of players, eight of whom have been with the team since the first Stanley Cup triumph in this run back in 2010 (seven of whom were big contributors to both recent Cup wins) have never even been in this position before. In both 2010 and 2013, the team's first opportunity to clinch was on the road. They won both of those games.

If winning on home ice provides any extra motivation for the Blackhawks, and it's safe to assume that it does, the Lightning have to brace for what could be Chicago's best effort of the final to date. The Blackhawks have also been a team that tends to close when they have the chance. The club is 14-4 in potential series-clinching games dating back to 2009-10 (via ESPNChicago.com). They have also lost only twice on home ice this entire postseason.

The Lightning were one of those two teams to beat the Blackhawks in the United Center, which is where they can have some confidence. In a series that has been one of the tightest played in the history of the Stanley Cup, it comes down to small differences.

That's why the Lightning still have a shot at winning this thing, despite everything they face heading into Game 6. In their losses, it has come down to a few bad breaks here or there. Even in games where they had key players injured, they weren't out of it. They face a daunting task, especially if Kucherov is hurt, but their defense and overall team depth will at the very least give the Lightning a chance to extend the series.