Lightning's Point in elite company amid playoff dominance
Tampa Bay Lightning pivot Brayden Point finds himself in an esteemed class because of his dominant postseason.
Point registered a goal and an assist during the Bolts' 8-0 win over the New York Islanders in Game 5 on Monday night, extending his goal streak to eight games in the process.
That's the second-longest goal streak in a Stanley Cup Playoff run.
Just wild, Brayden Point. #ItsOn pic.twitter.com/OWzsUHZjVr
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 22, 2021
Point has now recorded 13 goals and five assists over 16 games this postseason, but his playoff excellence dates back even further.
He became the third center in NHL history to record 12-plus goals in back-to-back postseasons, joining Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.
Elite company. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/14516zZZRg
— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) June 22, 2021
The 25-year-old has also notched the ninth-most goals ever over a player's first 60 playoff games.
Only eight players in NHL history have scored more goals through their first 60 career playoff games than Brayden Point - seven of which are Hockey Hall of Fame members. #StanleyCup #NHLStats: https://t.co/Pf96ODxVLB pic.twitter.com/YBzbTkGQ4d
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 22, 2021
Only two players on that list aren't Hall of Famers (Reggie Leach and Kevin Stevens).
If the Lightning can go back-to-back and claim their second consecutive Stanley Cup, Point will receive heavy Conn Smythe Trophy consideration. However, teammates Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy have been arguably just as valuable so far.