“We had a tough string of injuries that affected us,” said Stamkos, whose Lightning faced the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night. “You could tell back in training camp this season, everyone had a chip on their shoulders about not letting that happen again.” Stamkos, in his 10th NHL season, has learned there is nothing to be gained from talking about team goals 38 games into an 82-game season. Stamkos was a part of that injury rash a year ago, suffering a torn meniscus in his knee that ended his season. But the Lightning were in a similar same position in 2013-14 before Stamkos broke his leg. When injuries helped plunge the team out of the playoffs last season, it narrowed the team’s focus this season to being consistent on a daily basis.

Source: thestar January 02, 2018 23:47 UTC