Steven Stamkos Goal, Game Three 2020
The great Mike Emrick said it best: “right out of a storybook”. The Lightning had been without their captain on the ice the entire time in the bubble. He had not played at all since February. Steven Stamkos was able to play just a handful of shifts in the game and had one shot and a goal for all time. In true superstar fashion as well, it was an absolute beauty. Picking out the far side corner in the way that has made Stamkos one of the great shooters in the game’s history.
You really could not write a better script for Stamkos to return and make a huge impact in the short time he was able to play. The only downside was that Stamkos further aggravated his core muscle injury on the play and really was not able to play at all the rest of the game. If that was going to be his only impact on the ice then that was more than enough.
Tampa Bay would go on to win game three in convincing fashion, downing Dallas 5-2. Stamkos’ goal unfortunately was not able to hold up as the game winner but nobody will ever care. The moment and the circumstances aligning the way they did makes this the top Stanley Cup Final goal in Lightning history and probably in franchise history.