VIDEO: Lightning's Stamkos flattens Rangers' Hayes with rare hit

Steven Stamkos is known more for scoring than hitting, but the Tampa Bay Lightning captain landed a massive check early in Wednesday's Game 3 against the New York Rangers.

Stamkos spotted Kevin Hayes fishing for the puck in the corner and lined him up, knocking the Rangers rookie to the ice with a legal hit to set the physical tone in Tampa Bay's first home game of the Eastern Conference Final.

His physical play paid off later in the first period when Stamkos scored his fifth goal of the postseason. He appears to have regained his scoring touch with four goals in five games after scoring once in 11 contests.