TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos left in the first period Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks because of a left leg injury. Stamkos got tangled up with Chicago forward Joey Anderson in his own zone with less than three minutes remaining in the opening period. The two fell to the ice; Stamkos got up and skated off the ice holding his lower left leg and did not return. Coach Jon Cooper said after the Lightning’s 3-1 victory that he didn’t think the injury was serious. “I think he’s going to be OK,” Cooper said. “We just kept him out for precaution. We’ll check him out tomorrow, but we’re hopeful he will be OK.” The 33-year-old forward is second on the Lightning with 27 goals and third with 66 points. Stamkos, the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NHL draft, has played his entire NHL career with the Lightning. He’s the franchise’s all-time leader with 508 goals and 1,038 points. He reached the 1,000-point mark Dec. 1 and scored his 500th goal Jan. 18.
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