TAMPA -- Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos tied a franchise record with his eighth career hat trick in a 7-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens at Amalie Arena on Monday.
The goals were Stamkos' first three of the season. He now shares the record with Martin St. Louis, who played 13 seasons for the Lightning.
"It's nothing you really think about before a game," Stamkos said. "You just want to make the right plays and get quality shots. The shots went in tonight and things got rolling pretty quickly. From a confidence standpoint it's good to see the hard work pay off with a team victory. That is the most important part."
Stamkos' eight career hat tricks are tied for the second-most in the NHL since he entered the League in 2008-09. Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin also has eight. The only player with more in that span: Hurricanes captain Eric Staal, who has nine.
The Lightning captain scored his third goal of the game with 1:46 remaining in the second period on a wrist shot from outside the right circle past Canadiens goalie Carey Price.
"We all made a lot of good plays tonight and it was a good confidence boost for me and some of the other guys," Stamkos said. "They are a good team so you have to take advantage of anything they give you."
Stamkos had 12 shots in the game, becoming just the fourth player in Lightning history to record at least a dozen shots on goal in a single game. The others: John Tucker (14; Dec. 16, 1992 at SJS), Brad Richards (12; March 7, 2003 vs. COL) and Vincent Lecavalier (12; March 11, 2011 vs. OTT).
The Lightning downplayed the revenge factor after being eliminated by the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring. Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban said he expects a different result next time the teams face.
"Obviously he scored some goals out there tonight, but we know he can do that," Subban said. "So for us, I tell Steven to enjoy it because the next time it's not going to happen."
Prior to Monday, Stamkos' most recent hat trick came against the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 19 of last season. Including the playoffs, Stamkos has 47 multi-goal games in his career.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.