Statement game
Stamkos making Olympics case while leading Lightning
TAMPA — Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos is very open about his desire to play for Team Canada in February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing.
And in the Lightning’s 5-3 win in Toronto on Thursday night, Stamkos made his biggest statement yet that he deserves to be there.
Stamkos has always played well in Toronto. It’s home for him, and it’s also the unofficial home of hockey and Canada’s media hub. The Hall of Fame is just steps away from Scotiabank Arena and any Leafs game is a big deal throughout Canada.
Before Thursday’s game, Lightning coach Jon Cooper was peppered with questions about the Canadian team he will coach in the Olympics. Does he make mental notes about how opposing players could fit in on Team Canada? Cooper admitted he goes into each game with that intention, but leaves every game feeling like he has only watched his own team.
And what he has seen is Stamkos placing the Lightning on his shoulders after a spate of injuries to top forwards such as Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and, on Thursday, Anthony Cirelli.
It’s been well documented how good Stamkos, who turns 32 in February, feels physically. He was finally able to work on getting in his best shape going into the season instead of worrying about recovering from an injury.
Feeling good is one thing, but taking the reins as the best offensive player on the ice when your team needs you most is another.
And following his 4 points Thursday, Stamkos was tied for fifth in the league in scoring with 32 points.
“What’s probably the most impressive about what’s going on now is how depleted we are up front,” Cooper said. “You can throw around the ‘Hey, next man up’ attitude but you need your big guys to step up. Let’s be honest. And Stammer’s most definitely done that . ... When you have some of the injuries he’s had — whether it was missing [most of ] the playoffs in our first Stanley Cup run here [in 2020] or in 2016, when he was out for most of those playoffs — that wears on you.
“You don’t have a ton of time in this league and your body has to heal. Just because you’re back on the ice one game after you’re hurt doesn’t mean you’re healthy. But he was a big part of our Stanley Cup win last [season]. He got time to get healthy over the summer and he’s really taken off.”
A broken leg prevented Stamkos from participating in the 2014 Olympics, and NHL players didn’t participate in ‘18.
He is looking at this as his last chance to fulfill a dream to represent his country on the biggest international stage.
“It’s extra motivation for sure,” Stamkos said. “I’m not gonna lie and say I haven’t thought about it. Certainly one of the greatest honors you can have is representing your country, so I’m not going to say I’m not thinking about it. ... And I know it’s cliche, but you kind of just let your play do the talking for you. Let’s just go out there and play and at the end of the day, I wanted to put myself back in that conversation by being healthy and playing well. And if I’m doing that, it’s great.”
Thursday’s game was a fitting example of the impact Stamkos still makes in the game. He corralled a bouncing puck and one-timers shot from above the left circle for a go-ahead power play goal in the first period. He then helped set up linemate Ondrej Palat and Taylor Raddysh on their second-period goals before feeding Palat for game-sealing empty-netter late in the third.
Without Kucherov and Point, the Lightning are 8-1-1, the one regulation loss coming in a Nov. 30 game Stamkos didn’t play in because he returned to Tampa for the birth of his second child. Point’s injury forced Stamkos’ return to center and he has scored in every game since, totaling 14 points in his nine games over that stretch.
The arrival of his second son, Chase, came two weeks early, forcing him to leave St. Louis hours before game time to be with wife Sandra.
Stamkos said he made it back with about 30 minutes to spare. Since then he’s mostly been on the road, so FaceTime calls have had to suffice.
“I know they’re watching so I’m just proud that I was able to be there and it’s been a really, really fun week,” Stamkos said. “Obviously winning helps as well.”
The Lightning can complete a perfect five-game road trip with a win Saturday afternoon in Ottawa. Stamkos enters two 2 points shy of 900 for his career, and given the way he’s playing now, he could reach that milestone at the American Tire Center, the same building where the Lightning made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2008.
“We know we’re missing some really good players, some really key offensive players, but it’s the way it is,” Stamkos said. “Unfortunately, I’ve been on both sides of that and no one’s going to feel sorry for our group because of the success that we’ve had. So it’s up to us, guys have to step up.”