The path taken by Anthony Cirelli to become a fixture in the lineup for the Tampa Bay Lightning is one of patience and perseverance.

"I wouldn't say I'm an overachiever, but I've been through a lot and it's been a long road to get (to the NHL)," Cirelli said. "Just the fact I was never even drafted into the Ontario Hockey League, but I did work hard and, fortunately for me, the opportunity came."

Cirelli (6-foot, 180 pounds), selected in the third round (No. 72) of the 2015 NHL Draft, has 14 points (nine goals, five assists) and 64 shots on goal in 37 games as a rookie for the Lightning. Tampa Bay (28-7-2), which leads the NHL in points (58), controls 59.33 percent of all shots attempted with Cirelli on the ice, which ranks first on the team among players with at least two games.

"The work ethic is a big part of it, and everybody in the league works, but there are guys who rise above the rest and Tony is one of those guys," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "When you watch him, he's just in the right spots all the time and because his battle level in such tight quarters is elite, he just finds a way to come up with pucks. This game for me is all about 50-50 battles. If you win more than you lose, you've got a good chance in the game, and he's one of those guys who wins a lot of those battles."

Video: TOR@TBL: Cirelli slips SHG past Andersen

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said Cirelli made an impression even before this season after scoring 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 18 regular-season games and three points in 17 Stanley Cup Playoff games in 2017-18.

"He's smart and calculated with making reads and that's something that's just a natural ability of his," Stamkos said. "You can put him in any situation. I think as he becomes more comfortable you'll see even more offense because he's still so focused on doing the right thing."

Cirelli not only went unselected in two consecutive OHL drafts (2013-14), but after signing a free-agent contract with Oshawa in September 2014, was cut and returned to Mississauga of the Ontario Junior Hockey League after the final OHL exhibition game.

Oshawa general manager Roger Hunt remembers not feeling good after returning Cirelli to the OJHL.

"We did our original plan which was to send Anthony back to play Tier 2 but as I left the office after making the decision, I just had a gut feeling that it wasn't the right thing," Hunt said. "I called him, told him to go to his home school the next day, return his books and tell them you're coming back to Oshawa. In a span of 24 hours Anthony's career path changed. The rest of his story is history."

Video: NYR@TBL: Cirelli steals the puck and beats Lundqvist

Cirelli scored 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists) in 68 regular-season games and 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 21 OHL playoff games to help Oshawa win the Memorial Cup of the Canadian Hockey League in 2014-15.

He remains the only player from that Memorial Cup-winning team to earn a fulltime role on an NHL roster.

One area of Cirelli's game that has improved greatly is on face-offs. He leads the Lightning with 220 face-off wins and 428 attempts and leads all NHL rookies with at least 100 face-offs taken in face-off winning percentage (51.4).

"Assistant coach Jeff Halpern has been helping a lot with watching and sending me video and working after practice," Cirelli said.

"The biggest thing is the commitment to face-offs and your willingness to become a better player in the circle," Halpern said. "We've worked a lot on his technique and changing a couple of things. He's good on his own and he had an unbelievable group around him in Syracuse (in the American Hockey League)."

Halpern, who played 14 NHL seasons, isn't surprised how effective Cirelli has been.

"Every clip we had of him in the minors was him chasing down a forecheck; kind of a dog in pursuit," Halpern said. "This year, with a little more weight, strength, and confidence to his offensive game, I think he's creating an identity for himself as a dogged forechecker."

Cirelli ranks fourth on the Lightning in takeaways (19), seventh in hits (46) and ninth in blocked shots (22). He leads the Lightning, and all rookies, with three shorthanded goals on seven shots. He's also blocked 10 shots while shorthanded.

"When I was with the New York Rangers, I played with Jesper Fast a lot and Tony reminds me of him," Lightning forward J.T. Miller said. "He's a skilled player and plays his role very well. He's an important part of whoever is playing with him because he's efficient and annoying for the other team to play against. He can disrupt plays but has enough skill to make the next play."