"Tampa Bay Lightning fans: IF your team's first-round playoff series with the Detroit Red Wings goes six games, you will receive no goals from Steven Stamkos. You will either have to win the series in six despite that fact or send it to a seventh game. Good night and good luck."
If any Lightning rooter was told this before the Eastern quarterfinal series with the Red Wings, attention probably would quickly have turned to whether the Rays can make a run for the pennant, or whether the Buccaneers should take Jameis Winston with the first pick in the NFL draft.