TAMPA, Fla. — Something has felt different about the Lightning the past few months. They haven’t been dominant. They haven’t had that familiar swagger. It’s that feeling when champions come down to earth.
But in their 8-1 win over Toronto on Thursday night at Amalie Arena — a team they could face in the first round of the playoffs — the Lightning played with toughness and a sense of urgency that they’ve struggled to tap recently. The result: one of their best 60-minute efforts in the final months of the regular season.
Along the way, captain Steven Stamkos became the Lightning’s all-time points leader, scoring like he has for so many years — a one-timer from the left circle on the power play for a 3-0 lead with 7:22 left in the second.
