In the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday evening, Steven Stamkos turned the forty seventh NHL participant to attain 500 objectives. Not solely did Stamkos hit that main profession milestone, however he added some additional aptitude by scoring a hat trick.
Entering Wednesday evening, Stamkos was sitting on 499 profession objectives. Less than 5 minutes into the sport, Lightning ahead Alex Killorn toe-dragged round a defender and located Stamkos on their lonesome in entrance of the online for No. 500.
Stamkos was not content material to have a good time that achievement and sit again the remainder of the sport. Later within the first interval, Stamkos took one other beautiful feed from Killorn and deposited it into the again of the online for his second of the evening.
The Lightning captain capped off his memorable evening by scoring an empty-net objective to finish the hat trick, which put him in some elite firm in NHL historical past.
Stamkos is simply the eighth participant in league historical past to attain his five hundredth profession objective and report a hat trick in the identical recreation. The others have been Jean Beliveau, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, Brett Hull, Jaromir Jagr, and Mats Sundin.
Stamkos additionally joins Alex Ovechkin (810) and Sidney Crosby (538) as the one lively gamers within the 500-goal membership.
In his postgame press convention, Stamkos stated it was a particular second for him, and he joked that his teammates can return to taking part in the sport usually as an alternative of trying to go at any time when there is a scoring probability.
“It’s very particular,” Stamkos stated. “I’ve had fairly just a few possibilities within the final couple video games. It was good to get it out of the best way early within the recreation. I used to be joking with the fellows too. I do know guys have been searching for me in conditions the place possibly they’d have shot it previously two video games. It was good to do it and exit and play. Obviously, to do it in a win is big.”
Stamkos additionally took the time to thank the followers in Vancouver for the nice and cozy reception they gave him.
“The factor that is going to stay out is the objective, but additionally the reception that I received from the gang,” Stamkos stated. “That’s one thing, as a participant, that sticks with you for an extended very long time while you’re on the street and get that sort of reception. Just wish to say to the followers that have been right here tonight, ‘Thank you, and I recognize that.’ Very stylish transfer.”
Stamkos, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Lightning, has reached 500 profession objectives regardless of lacking vital time to accidents all through his profession. In the 2013-14 season, Stamkos suffered a damaged tibia that pressured him to overlook 45 video games. In the 2016-17 season, he was restricted to only 17 video games as a consequence of a torn meniscus. It’s straightforward to think about what Stamkos’ numbers would possibly appear to be with higher harm luck.
Now 32-years-old, Stamkos remains to be taking part in among the finest hockey of his profession. After Tuesday evening’s explosion of offense, he’s now as much as 21 objectives and 52 factors in 43 video games performed. It’s conceivable that Stamkos may end with 100 factors for the second 12 months in a row as he continues to climb the NHL’s report books.
