Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Dallas Stars: 3 takeaways from Game 3

In Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning won 5-2 over the Dallas Stars to take a 2-1 series lead.

After a less than inspiring effort in the final 20 minutes of Game 2, the Tampa Bay Lightning came out swinging early in Game 3 against the Dallas Stars. Much like Game 2, the Bolts grabbed an early lead. But this time, they didn’t sit back once they had it.

With their 5-2 win in Game 3, the Lightning now have a 2-1 series lead and the Stars, for the first time since the second round, are really behind the eight ball. This weekend features a sequence of games on back-to-back evenings, so winning Game 4 on Friday is about as close as you can get to a “must win game” for the Stars without it actually being a must win game.

Game 3 was an impressive win for the Lightning, who finally looked like themselves for most of a game for the first time in the Stanley Cup Final. Let’s look at three takeaways from Game 3.

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1. Stammer Time

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos made his 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in Game 3. He’s been battling injuries, but finally felt well enough to play. Regardless of how the rest of the series goes, Stamkos has etched his name in Stanley Cup lore.

The captain didn’t play much in Game 3 – he only played 2:47 the entire game and didn’t even take a shift after two minutes into the second period. However, Stamkos made sure his time on the ice was meaningful. He only recorded one shot on goal, but it was a momentum-shifting goal. Less than 90 seconds after Nikita Kucherov scored on a breakaway, Stamkos fired, honestly, one of the best shots of his career. No hyperbole.

Even after he left the game due to an injury, Stamkos was still on the bench cheering on his teammates. Merely having him out there seemed to give the Lightning a huge boost. Stamkos had his Willis Reed moment in Game 3. This could be a career-defining one. And now Stamkos has played the necessary one postseason game to have his name etched on the Stanley Cup.

2. Tampa Took Over In The Second

Entering the second period, the Tampa Bay Lighting led the Dallas Stars 2-1, but the Stars were starting to gain a lot of momentum, outshooting the Lightning 16-8. Tampa proceeded to take over the game. Not only did they score three goals, they outshot the Stars 21-4. Yes, you read that right.

If you’re an advanced stats fan, you’ll love this nugget. The Lightning had a 5v5 xGF% (expected goals for percentage) of 95.25%, according to Natural Stat Trick. Tampa also had 10 scoring chances at 5v5 while allowing just one. The Lightning led the Stars back into Game 2 after grabbing an early lead. This time around, the Lightning kept their foot firmly on the pedal.

3. Where Does Dallas Go From Here?

There’s virtually nothing positive the Dallas Stars can take away from Game 3. Even star defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who has been fabulous throughout the postseason, had a bad night, though he did score a third-period goal. The stars scored six goals in Game 3. Unfortunately, four of those goals by the stars were from Tampa’s stars (Brayden Point, Stamkos, Victor Hedman, and Kucherov).

Dallas has to make some serious adjustments in Game 4. They’ve got to find a way to stay out of the penalty box. The Stars have been trying to throw the Lightning off their game with their physicality. It worked in Game 1, but it’s been costing them ever since. The Stars have no answer for Point and Kucherov. They’ve got to find one or this series could be over on Saturday.