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Stamkos has natural hat trick, Lightning beat Maple Leafs 5-3 after scary injury to Ranger

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Toronto Maple Leafs' Paul Ranger is taken off the ice on a stretcher after hitting the boards head first from a check by Tampa Bay Lightning's Alex Killorn during first period NHL action in Toronto on Wednesday March 19, 2014. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn) (The Associated Press)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Paul Ranger is taken off the ice on a stretcher after hitting the boards head first from a check by Tampa Bay Lightning's Alex Killorn during first period NHL action in Toronto on Wednesday March 19, 2014. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn) (The Associated Press)

Steven Stamkos had a natural hat trick and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat Toronto 5-3 Wednesday night in a game that included a frightening injury to Maple Leafs defenseman Paul Ranger.

Ranger left the ice on a stretcher after his head hit the boards following a first-period hit from Alex Killorn. He was "stable, conscious and alert," according to the Maple Leafs, after being taken to the hospital for what the team called a "precautionary assessment."

Toronto announced the update on Ranger's condition on its Twitter account.

James Reimer gave up a goal on the first shot he faced, and the Maple Leafs lost their third straight.