Steven Stamkos Can't Afford to Be Invisible Again for the Lightning in Game 7

"Tampa Bay Lightning fans: If your team's first-round playoff series with the Detroit Red Wings goes six games, you will receive no goals from Steven Stamkos. You will either have to win the series in six despite that fact or send it to a seventh game. Good night and good luck."

If any Lightning rooter was told this before the Eastern quarterfinal series with the Red Wings, attention probably would quickly have turned to whether the Rays can make a run for the pennant, or whether the Buccaneers should take Jameis Winston with the first pick in the NFL draft. The Lightning winning a series without a goal from Stammer? The NHL's best pure goal scorer in the estimation of many, not to mention a gamer in the clutch? 

Not. Likely.

But here the Bolts are, even with Detroit three games apiece following their gutsy 5-2 Game 6 win over the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Stamkos, the NHL's second-leading goal-scorer of the regular season with 43, had another doughnut in the "G" column in this one, though he did have an assist and finished a plus-two. 

While he did make a contribution to the huge win Monday, it is hereby written: The Lightning will NOT win this series if they have to go another goalless game from Stamkos. It is up to Tampa Bay's best and highest-paid player to prove he's worthy of both designations with a great performance Wednesday night.

Well, OK, the Lightning can win without a goal from Stamkos. In the 48 regular-season games he went without a goal, Tampa Bay went 25-23. But here's the thing: The Bolts were 25-9 when he did score a goal. The Lightning can't keep playing these 50-50 odds much longer if they want to win a Cup. When Stamkos scores, the Lightning win much more often than not. It's time for that to happen.

If Stamkos doesn't score and the Lightning lose—as has happened three times already this series—he will deserve the bulk of the blame for the series loss. Through six games, Stamkos has three assists, good enough for a tie at 65th among NHL playoff scorers.

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

If not for Tyler Johnson, Stamkos would already be taking verbal brickbats from the South Florida hockey media corps. Johnson has six goals in the series, including two Monday night. As profiled here earlier in this series, Johnson is the Lightning's Little Big Man.

But you can only go so long without your real Bigs from showing up. Sorry, that was a basketball metaphor. In hockey, the favored saying is, "Our best players need to be our best players." Tampa Bay has skated by just barely without their best player being their best player.

That can't happen again Wednesday.

Stamkos has posted a maximum of two shots on goal in four of the last five games of the series, after a more Stamkos-like eight-shot showing in Game 1. Justin Abdelkader's return to the series in Game 3 gave Wings coach Mike Babcock the kind of 1-3 depth at center he likes when zeroing in on an opposing team's top player.

Abdelkader's return allowed Babcock to ease the defensive responsibilities on youngster Riley Sheahan and freed up Henrik Zetterberg to skate easier minutes offensively without having to mind Stamkos as much.

Stamkos' lack of production prompted some in the media to wonder if he was hurt, but he shot that down, according to the Tampa Tribune's Erik Erlendsson:

"

Stamkos ends any speculation, said he's not playing injured #tblightning

— Erik Erlendsson (@erlendssonTBO) April 27, 2015"

With Stamkos apparently healthy, the biggest task for Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper for Game 7 is obvious: He needs to use the last chance to full effect with Stamkos. He has to try to get Stamkos on the ice as much against a kid like Sheahan as possible, and less against veterans such as Zetterberg and Abdelkader.

Stamkos, a smart guy, knows what's expected of him. He knows what's at stake, and accepts the criticism when the puck doesn't go in at this time of year. As he told the Tampa Bay Times' Joe Smith before Game 6:

"

It comes with the territory. For me, I judge my game on how hard I'm competing, the little things I'm trying to do well. Obviously I get judged on offense and production and that's something I do judge myself on as well, especially when things aren't going well and the team isn't winning, it gets magnified.

"

As for the Wings, they may look like they're in big trouble, but Babcock would hear none of it after the game Monday. Chin jutted, eyes blazing, Babock said this to reporters, including The Canadian Press' Stephen Whyno, afterward:

"

"No team's been able to win two games in a row in this series, so, let's go to Tampa." - Red Wings coach Mike Babcock.

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) April 28, 2015"

The Wings may have to do without top defenseman Niklas Kronwall for Game 7 as well. Kronwall leveled Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov with a huge hit in the second period that was arguably a targeted head shot.

Whether Kronwall plays or not, or no matter what Babcock does in Game 7, that game will be there for the getting if Stamkos does what he has always done so well: Put the puck in the net.

To answer Babcock's defiant stance toward Game 7, Johnson responded with this to Smith of the Tampa Bay Times: 

"We just have to change history I guess. ... We've just got to bring it."