TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning begin a three-game homestand Wednesday night against Montreal Canadians.
All eyes will be on captain Steven Stamkos. The 15-year veteran needs three goals to reach 500 for his career.
“When it happens, it happens,” Stamkos said. “That’s kind of been my mindset with the 1,000 points. When you start thinking about it too much, that’s when it gets in your head. You go out there; you’d like to get it every single game. You’d like to get three.
Earlier this month, Stamkos became the first Lightning player to tally 1,000 career points. But when he hits that 500-goal mark, he will join Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby as the only active players to attain that milestone.
“You’re going to go through ups and downs. I have certainly done that in my career in terms of points or goals,” he said. “It’s just the ebbs and flows of the season. At the end of the day, you try to stay as consistent as possible.”
Stamkos turns 33 years old in February, and he’s rolling right along. In 32 games this season, he’s second on the team with 16 goals and 38 points.
The Lightning host Montreal Wednesday at 7 p.m. The New York Rangers visit Amalie Arena on Thursday night.
