Column: Straight answers about injuries are difficult to come by during the NHL playoffs

Prying injury information out of NHL teams is a difficult task any time of the year. At playoff time, team officials probably would sooner give their bank account information to phone scammers than disclose the nature and severity of a player’s injury.

The NHL permits teams to be vague on the basis that disclosing specifics might help a team’s opponent, resulting in the all-too-familiar “upper body” and “lower body” injury terminology. The only way to know for sure who was hurting and who was resting in the final stages of the regular season is to count limbs at practice before the first playoff puck is dropped.

Given the absence of some prominent names when playoff berths and home-ice advantage were at stake, some impact players probably won’t be playing when the first round begins. The road to the Stanley Cup begins Wednesday, when the Detroit Red Wings play at Tampa Bay, the New York Rangers are at Pittsburgh and the Chicago Blackhawks are at St. Louis.

“It seems like it’s more than normal,” Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said Monday of the number of injuries. “There’s a lot of teams with a lot of sore bodies going right now, and I think that goes to the caliber and the tightness of the playoff races. A lot of teams didn’t have a lot time to relax and not play their best players. They had to play them through the whole 82 games and, consequently, some of them got hurt.”

Among the few certainties is that Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos, who underwent surgery last week to correct a vascular problem, won’t be ready. Nor will Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman, who suffered a fractured left leg in late March. Forward Tyler Johnson, who suffered an apparent head injury last week, is said to be day to day. Then again, aren’t we all?

In a rare burst of honesty, Rangers Coach Alain Vigneault said that defenseman Ryan McDonagh (upper body) won’t start the series against Pittsburgh and is day to day (there it is again). But there’s still a mystery surrounding Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who sat out five games because of a concussion. His backup, Matt Murray, took a shot to the head and didn’t practice Monday. Nor did forward forward Evgeni Malkin, sidelined since March 11 because of what’s believed to be a hand or wrist injury. Defenseman Olli Maatta (lower body) skated Monday but his status is unclear.

Despite the injuries, the Penguins surged in the final weeks of the season. “To be honest, it doesn’t mean we’ve played great every game but we’ve found ways,” center Sidney Crosby told the Associated Press on Monday. “I think the main constant is just we’ve given ourselves a chance with the way we work every night and we play as a team. That’s the biggest thing — nobody’s been taking any nights off.”

The Kings will open at home against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday without winger Marian Gaborik, who recently resumed skating after suffering a lower-body injury (translation: knee) on Feb. 12. Alec Martinez, who has become a key part of their defense corps, sat out the last four regular-season games because of an undisclosed injury but probably will be ready for the opener. Defenseman Matt Greene (shoulder surgery) recently said he’s not near returning.

The Ducks are expected to be without forward Rickard Rakell (appendectomy), prolific winger David Perron (separated shoulder) and forward Brandon Pirri (upper body) against the Nashville Predators at Honda Center on Friday. An update on defenseman Kevin Bieksa (apparent hand injury) might be available Tuesday.

Chicago goalie Corey Crawford returned Saturday from a suspected concussion, leaving the Blackhawks healthy as they prepare to face the Blues. But St. Louis captain David Backes sat out the last three games and didn’t practice Monday, leaving his status in question

The Florida Panthers probably won’t have third-line center Vincent Trocheck (ankle) for Game 1 against the New York Islanders, and defenseman Willie Mitchell remains sidelined because of a concussion.

The Dallas Stars, seeded No. 1 in the West, probably will open against the Minnesota Wild without high-scoring center Tyler Seguin, who took a step in his recovery from surgery on a cut Achilles’ tendon when he skated lightly Monday.

“I’m not going to rule him out,” Coach Lindy Ruff told reporters, “but I can’t tell you he’s in right now.”

Like the rest of us, he’s day to day.

Follow Helene Elliott on Twitter @helenenothelen