EDMONTON, Alberta -- Steven Stamkos is back in the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup for the first time in the bubble.
And he's making an immediate impact.
The Lightning captain made his postseason debut Wednesday night in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Dallas Stars and scored on his first shot, beating Anton Khudobin at 6:58 of the opening period to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead.
The series is tied 1-1.
Stamkos had not played in a game since Feb. 25. On March 2, he underwent surgery to repair a core muscle surgery, and he had an initial recovery timeline of six to eight weeks.