SAN JOSE, Calif. — For Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning, just about everything has gone right so far this season.
But as they get ready to return from the All-Star break as the NHL’s top team, the Lightning knows there is little they can do before April to make this a successful campaign.
Tampa Bay leads the league with 76 points so far this season, opening up a 13-point edge over the next best team in the Eastern Conference. But after losing in the Stanley Cup Final in 2015 and then in Game 7 of the conference finals in 2016 and ‘18, nothing short of winning it all will be enough for the Lightning.