The dream of competing for Lord Stanley’s Cup is a fragile one.
One swift event can result in the downfall of a franchise, and in Tampa Bay, many believed that was exactly what was going to happen after superstar Steven Stamkos was sidelined with a broken tibia after crashing into a net on the evening of November 11 in Boston.
What no one saw coming was the camaraderie that the Tampa Bay Lightning were able to build to propel the team to its current standing of third place in the Eastern Conference. With 71 points, the Lightning sit behind only Pittsburgh and Boston, both of which reached the conference finals last season.
Many deemed the Lightning finished as early as the day after news surfaced that Stamkos would be out indefinitely, but thanks to a squad led by captain Martin St. Louis, the dreams of a second Stanley Cup in 10 years were able to be salvaged.
Since his injury, the Lightning have gone 23-16-5 without the 24-year-old Stamkos. A few key players have stepped up in the wake of the incident, including St. Louis, Teddy Purcell and Ben Bishop in ne ...
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Article written by Joseph Sykes