TAMPA, Fla. – Steven Stamkos scores.
One hundred goals in 124 games in junior. An incredibly rare 60-goal season in the NHL. In all, there’s been 366 pucks sent into the net off his stick or body since joining the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Now, occasionally a stretch arrives where the goals disappear. The clouds are more likely to roll in come playoff time, when the matchups get fiercer and the passing lanes get clogged up and the power-play opportunities come around less frequently.
This was the space Stamkos was occupying before his big breakthrough moment in Game 4 against the Boston Bruins on Friday night. It’s an uncomfortable place to be.
“It’s difficult in those situations because you understand their frustration. And you can only tell them so many times ‘It’s OK,”’ said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “Like don’t worry about it, the other guys are picking you up. But players aren’t wired that way, the guys that are used to scoring. They kind of wear it as a badge.”
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The goal Stamkos scored was his first at even strength in the playoffs since May 22, 2015 – a stretch of 19 games. He’d put home a couple power-play markers in that time, including one against New Jersey in Round 1 and an empty-netter against Boston, but it’s a testament to how challenging this time of year can be that a player with his ability and pedigree was stymied at 5-on-5 in so many big games.
A lot had to go right for him to tie Friday’s game 3-3 with 7:04 to play.
For starters, the referees had to choose not to call a penalty when linemate Nikita Kucherov pulled down Bruins defenceman Charlie McAvoy while he carried the puck around the net. That allowed J.T. Miller to put it on a tee for Stamkos from the top of the circle and the Lightning captain summoned his inner Brett Hull by going down on one knee while hammering the puck past Tuukka Rask’s glove.
“It’s a typical Stammer shot,” said Kucherov.
“A huge goal,” added teammate Victor Hedman. “That’s what he’s known for.”
The playoffs can be toughest on the top offensive players. Auston Matthews took some heat in Round 1 when he was held in check by Boston’s top defence pairing of McAvoy and Zdeno Chara. Everyone from Sidney Crosby to Jonathan Toews to Pavel Datsyuk has come under fire at some point in their NHL careers due to a lack of post-season production.
Stamkos said there was a lot of discussion between him, Kucherov and Miller after they played three games in this second-round series without finding the back of the net. Then both he and Kucherov broke through to help Tampa take a 3-1 lead over the Bruins heading into Game 5 on Sunday afternoon.
“The good thing for us is that line doesn’t stay quiet for long,” said Cooper. “They may be quiet for a couple games, but at some point they’re going to come out. That’s why they’re elite players because you can’t keep them down for long.”
“You don’t want to panic or change things,” explained Kucherov. “Sometimes it’s a grind game. You just want to make sure you’re responsible on the ‘D’ side and don’t change anything. I think that’s where success comes from.”
Stamkos did opt for one minor change early in the series – he played the first two periods of Game 1 with black tape on his stick blade before switching back to his usual white.
He didn’t want to discuss it when I asked what he was experimenting with there. He mentioned that he’d probably had too much time to think during the long layoff after the New Jersey series and wouldn’t be doing it again.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t an accident. Stamkos is a methodical guy. And it might offer a small window into the mind of a goal-scorer when the bounces aren’t going his way.
“Any time you have a lot of success in the regular season, you just want it to seamlessly transition into the playoffs,” Stamkos said after Friday’s 4-3 overtime win. “It’s hard to produce in the regular season, never mind the playoffs when it’s very tight-checking and you’re playing very good hockey teams. But, we knew it was going to come.
“It’s percentages.”
To their credit, Stamkos and his linemates posted strong possession numbers even in the dry times. They were spending plenty of time in the offensive zone without getting the expected results. Plus, the veteran forward was mindful of not letting any personal frustration seep into the team environment.
“He doesn’t show it,” said Hedman. “That’s one part about Stammer. Even last year when he was hurt, he doesn’t show if he’s frustrated or if he’s down. He always brings a positive attitude.
“We put the team above ourselves and we’re winning hockey games. That’s what it’s all about in playoffs.”
The more they win, the more games Stamkos will play and the more likely the goals will return. You can’t keep a gifted scorer down forever.
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