Steven Stamkos Can't Stay Healthy

When the Lightning's accomplished captain turned down a major free-agent deal to play in the self-proclaimed Center of the Hockey Universe, his Tampa Bay teammates, management, and fans rejoiced.

For good reason. Dude's the real deal.

As long as he's vertical.

And right now, he's not. Again.

Not a good sign, at all.

The hell of it is, Stamkos was the checker and not the checkee

Dude can't buy a break, even with that home-team discount leaving him with $7.5mil to toss around each year for the next five.

His last two have had their bummer moments. Stamkos broke a leg just before the Sochi Olympics in 2014, and then suffered a blood clot in his arm just before last year's Stanley Cup playoffs began.

Talk about being super-glitched by the Matrix ...

... after starting the season with 20 points in 17 games.

That's the Steven Stamkos everyone knows and loves. Except those who are playing against him.

The Bolts were surging on front-running Montréal, too, having won a pair before their captain went down. However, Tampa's loaded, and they kept it going in Buffalo with their cast of thousands.

It all had Dave Mishkin pegging the needle, as he is wont to do:

Time for a buncha stuff while all Stamkos can carry is pom-pons.

But the club's used to it by now and hoping for a rehabbed and refreshed captain when this season's playoffs roll around.

If he can stay in one piece, that is.