Tampa Bay Lightning
TAMPA — Long before teammate Nikita Kucherov scored the winning goal in overtime, Lightning RW Steven Stamkos set the tone with a big hit early in Tampa Bay’s 6-5 victory over the Rangers on Wednesday night.
Barreling deep into the Rangers zone, Stamkos chased down winger Brett Hayes behind the net and delivered a crushing blow that left the Rangers aware Stamkos is more than just a goal scorer.
“He’s a powerful skater, he generates a lot of speed and he has the ability to finish a check,’’ Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of Stamkos, who had a team-leading seven hits on Wednesday.