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Chances to score ‘getting tougher and tougher,’ says slumping Stamkos

Steven Stamkos

Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) leaves the ice after a power play against the Detroit Red Wings during the first period of Game 7 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

AP

The Tampa Bay Lightning can take a 2-0 series lead on the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs, and Steven Stamkos has yet to score in this post-season.

That’s now eight straight 2015 playoff games without a goal for Stamkos, who recorded 43 goals during the regular season. It could be that he’s soon due for a breakout performance. But the opportunities to score, he admitted to Sportsnet.ca, have been increasingly more difficult to come by.

In Game 1 against Detroit, Stamkos has eight shots on net. Since then, he’s had only 17 combined in the last seven games.

“It’s just getting tougher and tougher,” Stamkos told Sportsnet.ca. “When you’re out there and you’re trying to get to the net, there’s guys obviously that have a job and they don’t want to be on the video the next day because they let you go in the slot or let you have an opportunity to score.”

Luckily, for Stamkos and the Lightning, Tyler Johnson has taken some of the pressure off with his playoff-leading seven goals. No other player on Tampa Bay’s roster has more than two goals so far since the Stanley Cup tournament began.

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