Steven Stamkos injured on his return
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After being eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs in four straight games last year, the Tampa Bay Lightning were eager to prove they could get the job done in the postseason this year. They have certainly exceeded expectations thus far, as they find themselves up 2-1 against the Dallas Stars in the best-of-seven series for the National Hockey League’s most prestigious prize.
On Wednesday night, they received an added boost in their quest to win the Stanley Cup as team captain Steven Stamkos made his return to the lineup and his debut in the 2020 playoffs. The 30-year-old has been out of commission since February 25th recovering from core muscle surgery and a lower-body injury.
Unfortunately for Stamkos and the Lightning though, the return was short-lived as he was forced to exit the game after playing just 2:47 seconds of the first period. That didn’t stop the veteran from contributing to the game and scoring a crucial goal though as he buried one six minutes and 58 seconds into the contest to give the Lightning a 2-0 lead.
Stamkos came out late in the second period to sit on the team’s bench and was present on the bench for the third period as well but was unable to get back into the game.
“It was just an amazing experience to share with my teammates … just to be able to get out into a game and have an impact on a game which a month ago may have never been possible,” said Stamkos following the contest, via TSN.
“I was just really happy to obviously contribute in a game in which I didn’t play too much.”
While Stamkos was unable to play past the first period, his presence in the lineup and on the bench unquestionably helped bolster his club’s spirits after being inside the NHL bubble for nearly three months.
“It was amazing to have (Stamkos) back on the ice,” said teammate Victor Hedman, via TSN.
“You can see the reaction on the ice and on our bench when he scored that goal. This is how much he means to us as a teammate, as a leader, and as a friend. Super happy for him.”
Despite not being able to play in a single playoff game prior to Wednesday night, Stamkos has remained inside the NHL bubble with his teammates for the entire time. He spent 60 days as a practice player inside the bubble. It remains to be seen whether Stamkos will be able to feature in anymore games this season, as the NHL is not disclosing injury information.
The Lightning continue their pursuit of the Stanley Cup on Friday evening when they take on the Stars in game four of the final with game five taking place just one night later, on Saturday evening.
If Tampa Bay does manage to win both games, they will lift the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2004. This year is the third time in the franchise’s history that they’ve reached the final after losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015.
