Johnson Becomes 1st Lightning Player with 3 Multi-Goal Games in 1 Series

Tampa Bay Lightning center Tyler Johnson came up huge in the opening round of the NHL playoffs, becoming the first player in franchise history to record three multi-goal games in one playoff series, per Matt Sitkoff of NHL Network.

While he didn't manage any goals during Tampa Bay's 2-0 Game 7 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, the 24-year-old center still finished with a series-high six goals, having scored two apiece in Games 2, 4 and 6.

Unsurprisingly, those were the other three games Tampa Bay won, as Wednesday's deciding Game 7 marked the first time the Lightning beat the Red Wings without the benefit of two goals from Johnson.

The third-year forward was one of just two players to score six goals in the opening round of the playoffs, with the other being St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko, who won't have the opportunity to add to his total.

Johnson, on the other hand, gets to continue a fantastic season, with his Lightning scheduled for a second-round matchup against the Montreal Canadiens that begins Friday in Montreal.

While getting past the Habs is undoubtedly a tall task, Johnson has already far surpassed expectations this season, with 29 goals and 43 assists (72 points) in 77 regular-season games.

He spent most of the season on Tampa Bay's famed "triplets" line, working alongside Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov on a second line that was more productive than most teams' first line.

Whether or not they make it past the seasoned Canadiens, Johnson and the Lightning should be a force in the Eastern Conference for years to come.