TAMPA, Fla. — Steven Stamkos knows what it’s like having to watch while teammates chase greatness.
“The worst feeling as an athlete is not being able to perform, especially at this time of the year,” said Stamkos, who missed all but 2 minutes, 47 seconds of the Lightning’s 2020 run to the first of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with a core muscle injury.
Center Brayden Point was injured in Game 7 of this year’s first-round series against the Maple Leafs and remains out. Point, who led the league with 28 goals over the past two postseasons, was the Lightning’s top two-way performer against Toronto before his injury, neutralizing 60-goal scorer Auston Matthews and scoring the deciding goal in a must-win Game 6.
