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Stamkos scores 3 as Lightning hang on vs. Leafs

Center Steven Stamkos called Wednesday night the highlight of his season.

After missing 45 games due to a broken leg sustained in November, Stamkos said it was the best he felt, scoring a natural hat trick as his Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 in a crucial Atlantic Division match up.

"To come into this rink and have a hat trick in a win at this time of the year ... hopefully there's some more highlights in the near future," said Stamkos, who grew up in nearby, Markham, Ontario. "I think at this point, it is the most exciting time of the year for me so far.

"I was hoping for a couple hats to come on the ice. So I'll have to talk to some buddies in the stands about that. It's great to come in this rink and win. Obviously icing on the cake to get a hat trick."

Lightning defenseman Radko Gudas and center Tyler Johnson had the other goals for Tampa Bay. Center Phil Kessel, forward Nikolai Kulemin and defenseman Jake Gardiner had the goals for Toronto.

Tampa Bay goaltender Ben Bishop, who entered his start 2-4-0 with a 3.04 goals-against-average against the Leafs, made 36 saves in the win.

Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer, who came into Wednesday's start with an 0-4-0 record to go along with a 4.09 GAA in his last five starts, made 25 saves in the loss.

"Coming into this game, it was obviously a big game," said Reimer. "We were real close in the standings. It's a tough one. We wanted to come out and play well and get a win, or at least get a couple points and it just wasn't the case."

With the win, the Lightning (38-24-7) stretched their win streak to four games, their longest since a season-best five game stretch Dec. 15-23. It was Tampa Bay's first win in Toronto since a 6-2 victory March 14, 2011. The Lightning were 0-3-1 in their previous four visits to the Air Canada Centre and 0-2-0 against the Leafs this season.

"I can't understate it enough," said Lightning coach, Jon Cooper, of the win. "We needed two points out of this. As important as getting the two points, is to not give one up."

Toronto (36-27-8), which played and lost in Detroit on Tuesday night, is now 6-8-0 in the second half of a back to back this season.

Stamkos tied it at 2, on a power play, at 13:22 of the first, one-timing forward Valtteri Filppula's feed past Riemer from his signature spot on the ice between the bottom of the faceoff circle and the goal line.

Stamkos gave Tampa Bay its second lead of the night at 15:39 of the opening period one timing forward Tyler Johnson's feed past Reimer.

The Lightning captain completed the hat trick at 5:56 of the second period, putting home the rebound off defenseman Eric Brewer's shot for his 19th of the season. Wednesday was Stamkos' second hat trick of the season, and seventh of his career.

"We were kind of joking about it before the game that I haven't had a multi-goal game here in Toronto so I was due," said Stamkos. "Any time you can contribute in a win, at this time of the year, I was pretty excited to do it in front of friends and family."

Stamkos now has 13 goals and 12 assists in 20 career games against the Maple Leafs and five goals in seven games since returning from injury.

"There's special players out there that find a way, they have that innate ability to rise to the occasion," said Cooper. "For Stammer to come back in here to his hometown and do what he did tonight, basically put the team on his shoulders."

Tampa Bay improved to 14-2-0 this season when Stamkos registers at least a point.

"The area in which Stamkos scored his goals, obviously you don't want to give anybody -- and specifically anybody of that skill-set -- that kind of space in that area," said Leafs coach Randy Carlyle.

Gardiner pulled Toronto to 4-3, circling the net and then beating Bishop glove-side for his 10th of the season at 8:20 of the third.

But Johnson restored the Lightning two-goal lead, one-timing winger Ryan Malone's feed past Reimer for his 22nd of the season, on a power play, at 12:56. The assist was Malone's 200th point as a member of the Lightning.

With four seconds remaining in the first period, Lighting forward Alex Killorn hit Leafs defenseman Paul Ranger, who turned at the last second prior to the hit, from behind with an elbow. Ranger remained down for several minutes and was carted off on a stretcher.

"You never want to see that ever in the game," said Leafs forward, Mason Raymond. "When that stretcher comes out that's, I think, a whole 'nother level when you realize the severity of it. Obviously we're just hoping the best for him right now."

Killorn was assessed a five minute major and a game misconduct for boarding.

Ranger spent parts of five seasons with the Lightning organization.

"That's tough, you never want to see anything like that in this game," said Stamkos, who was a teammate of Ranger's. "Those are the plays they're trying to get rid of. It's such a bang-bang play. Obviously Killer didn't mean to do it. It's a scary situation; you just hope Ranger is OK. A couple of us played with him. "

During the second intermission, the Leafs announced Ranger was taken to local hospital for precautionary assessment and that he was stable, conscious and alert. The team did not update Ranger's condition further post game.

"Unfortunate incident with Killorn-Ranger," said Cooper. "That's a tough one. I don't think there was any intent on Killorn's part to do that. It's not the way that he plays."

Gudas opened the scoring 59 seconds in to the first, on the Lightning's first shot of the game, beating a screened Reimer five-hole for his third of the season. The goal was Gudas' first since Dec. 23.

Kessel tied it at 1, one-timing defenseman Carl Gunnarson feed past a sprawling Bishop for his 35th of the season at 3:31 of the first, snapping his longest drought of the season at four games.

Kulemin gave Toronto its first and only lead of the game at 10:32 of the first period re-directing defenseman Tim Gleason's shot past Bishop for his ninth of the season. Kulemin's goal snaps a 14 game drought.

NOTES: Leafs G Jonathan Bernier (groin) took part in Toronto's optional morning skate Wednesday. Bernier's 25-minute workout was his first practice since he suffered the injury March 13 against the Los Angeles Kings. ... Lightning D Keith Aulie, D Mark Barberio, RW Nikita Kucherov and RW Richard Panik were all scratches. ... Leafs RW Carter Ashton and RW Colton Orr were scratches. ... Leafs C Tyler Bozak celebrated his 28th birthday Wednesday. ... Toronto C David Bolland missed his 56th game due to an ankle injury. He remains on injured reserve. ... The fourth and final meeting between the two clubs takes place April 8 in Tampa Bay.

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