Lightning Captain Steven Stamkos Makes History In Season's Final Game

TAMPA, FL — Whether are not the Tampa Bay Lightning win their third consecutive Stanley Cup, at least one of its players has already made hockey history.

Lightning center and team captain, Steven Stamkos, closed the regular season with a record-setting April, leading the league with 33 points and setting a new franchise record for points in a calendar month. The run also helped Stamkos reach 40 goals for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Stamkos led the NHL with 12-21-33 in 16 games, moving past Martin St. Louis to become the Lightning's all-time leading scorer with his 954th career point and earning the most points by any player since Mario Lemieux in December 1995 (12-22-34).

Stamkos' record led to the Lightning's fifth straight postseason berth.

Additionally, in Lightning's 6-4 defeat of the Islanders Friday night, Stamkos completed a hat trick and, on Saturday, was named the NHL's First Star of the Month.

In a news conference Monday, Lightning coach Jon Cooper talked about the success of his top line — Ondrej Palat, Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov — as the team heads into Game One of the playoffs.

"Stammer and Kuch and Palat, let's be honest, are on a little bit of a historic run," said Cooper. "A coach's job is not to get in the way of players when they've got some good things going. It's when they aren't going, how you're going to help them out. This is Game One of what we hope is a long run for us and maybe these guys all stay together the way they are. Maybe they don't. When the puck drops at 7:40 tonight, this is where we're starting. Who knows how it's going to finish up? But we like the way things are looking right now."

Fans can watch the game on Bally Sports Sun (check local listings) or stream it at the Bally Sports App.

The game will also be broadcast on 970 WFLA-AM, Lightning Power Play.

Here is the Lightning schedule for the first week of playoffs:

• Monday, May 2 — Maple Leafs vs. Lightning in Toronto at 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, May 4 — Maple Leafs vs. Lightning in Toronto at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, May 6 — Lightning vs. Maple Leafs in Tampa at 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, May 8 — Lightning vs. Maple Leafs in Tampa at 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 10 — Maple Leafs vs. Lightning in Toronto at noon.
• Thursday, May 12 — Lightning vs. Maple Leafs in Tampa at noon.
• Saturday, May 14 — Maple Leafs vs. Lightning in Toronto at noon.

The team that wins four out of seven games will qualify for the second week of the playoffs.