Stamkos elevates game for Lightning
TAMPA, Fla. — Steven Stamkos, at 32 and wrapping up his 14th season, is no longer one of the NHL’s most prolific scorers or even the second- or third-best player on his team.
The six-time All-Star and two-time “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner as the league’s leading goal scorer is the undisputed leader of the Tampa Bay Lightning, though, and one of the reasons the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions are four wins from the first three-peat in 40 years.
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals is Wednesday night, with the Lightning facing the Colorado Avalanche after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers to reach the Finals for the fourth time since 2015.
Stamkos has scored a teamleading nine goals in 17 games this postseason, including two in Tampa Bay’s 2-1 seriesclinching victory over the Rangers in the Eastern Conference finals Saturday.
“It’s not individuals. It’s great to score a couple of goals in a huge game. … But if I didn’t score and we won, I would have been just as happy,” the No. 1 overall pick from the 2008 NHL draft said. “That’s the way the guys are on our team. Each guy plays a part. We know in the room that everyone plays a huge part in our group success.”
Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat, Alex Killorn and Pat Maroon all have played key roles in Tampa Bay winning back-to-back titles and becoming the first team to make three straight appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals since the Edmonton Oilers from 1983 through ’85.
Stamkos has carried his share of the load, too, although he missed nearly all of the team’s championship run two years ago because of an injury. There have been plenty of times in the subsequent two seasons that his contributions have been overshadowed by the play of some of the team’s younger players.
Through it all, Stamkos keeps playing — and producing. He’s the Lightning’s career goals leader with 481 and this season moved ahead of Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis to become the franchise’s career points leader with 972 in 14 seasons.
The Lightning are trying to become the first team to threepeat since the New York Islanders won four straight titles from 1980 through ’83.
“Watching Stammer’s growth — going from the 60goal scorer and the young guy to the leader, the captain and the guy that people are rallying around — he’s got a lot of weight on the shoulders,” head coach Jon Cooper said.
Vegas hires Cassidy: Bruce Cassidy was hired to coach the Golden Knights a little more than a week after being fired by the Bruins.
Cassidy becomes the Golden Knights’ third head coach and replaces Peter DeBoer, who was fired after Vegas missed the playoffs for the first time in its five-year history.
Cassidy, 57, had a 245-108-46 record and led the Bruins to six straight playoff appearances.