PITTSBURGH -- Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos wore a regular jersey during Sunday’s practice, but he’s still not cleared for contact.

Stamkos, who had surgery to remove a blood clot near his collarbone on April 4 and has not played since, participated in all the drills as his team prepares for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night at Consol Energy Center. He had been wearing a red no-contact jersey in previous practices. Stamos, 26, has no restrictions besides no contact and he’s still taking blood thinners. Once he’s off the blood thinners, he has to wait 24 hours before he’s allowed to take contact.

It’s unlikely that Stamkos will play in Game 2, but Lightning coach Jon Cooper said it’s a good feeling knowing that his center is inching closer to a possible return.

"There was a point where there was so much uncertainty, it was kind of accepted that he wasn’t able to play," Cooper said. "But now you're getting to a point where we're kind of in that holding pattern, and he's feeling good because he's been on the ice so much more. He's getting himself back into game shape in these situations.

"He feels fine, and it's not like he's coming back from a broken bone, for instance -- [an Anton] Stralman situation where it’s a pain-tolerance thing. I think that’s probably what’s a little bit frustrating for [Stamkos]. He has to wait for other people to tell him he can play. He’s not the one making the decision. But he’s been unreal to have around."