WATCH FOR STAMKOS' RETURN AS SOON AS TONIGHT'S GAME 2
Injured Lightning captain suddenly the talk of Cup final
If you're expecting to see injured Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos ride in on a white horse for Game 2 after the Lightning dropped the opener of the Stanley Cup Final, that would be a story at full gallop.
But he's probably not ready to saddle up after missing all of the playoffs with a core-muscle issue.
“As of now I don't think so ... but tune in and find out (Game 2),” said Tampa coach Jon Cooper.
Tampa winger Blake Coleman says “an 80 per cent Stammer is still better than most guys in this league” and he's skating with his team but it doesn't sound like Stamkos, who hasn't played since February and had surgery March 2, will be firing away at the Dallas Stars on Monday night.
Tampa clearly needs his leadership and skill-set down a game, even if he's rested but rusty.
“Stammer is a superstar and it doesn't matter how much time he's had off,” said Coleman.
Stamkos put his No. 91 jersey on to accept the Eastern Conference Prince of Wales trophy with the other Tampa players wearing A's, but that's as close as he's come to the ice. Dallas coach Rick Bowness, who used to work with Cooper in Tampa, knows the clock's ticking on a Stamkos return.
“I know this is killing him not to be in the lineup,” said Cooper, who's using a banged-up Brayden Point as his No. 1 centre and could definitely use a Stamkos return as an exclamation mark.
“He's inching his way closer but you don't get this many chances to get this far. He's been a part of this and collectively he's helped the group on the mental part of things, but wants to be on the ice as well. He's fighting his way to get back ... not exactly sure when that'll be. There's no way we can tag that (definite return date), but until then he's been an influential leader off the ice.”
But Tampa's not bringing Stamkos back just to, say, play the power play for three or four shifts.
“You have to make sure he's conditioned enough, there's no way you would put a player in a game, taking up a roster spot, just to play a specialized position. Not at this time of year,” said Cooper.
“You need guys to contribute and he wouldn't want to sit on the bench the whole time. If you're getting into the lineup you have to be in position to play ... we've got a full medical staff and Steven will be the first to tell us if he can do it or not.”
Bowness knows where Stamkos' biggest impact will be.
“He would change the whole look on their power play,” he said. “If we take three penalties like we did in Game 1, with Stamkos back they would be doing some damage with his ability to one-time the puck.”
ONCE A PLAYER, ALWAYS A PLAYER?
Not for Bowness, who knew very early he wasn't going to have a long career as an NHL winger and changed gears to focus on coaching in his late 20s.
“It was Nov. 22, 1983, and I was 28 years old and I was a playing/ assistant coach in the American League (in the Winnipeg Jets system),” said Bowness. “Winnipeg fired Tom Watt and brought in Barry Long and myself.
“I knew at 25 I'd be bouncing up and down (between the AHL and NHL) as a player and if I wanted to stay in the game, it had to be coaching. I knew I could hang around the American League for another five years (as a player), but I wasn't a great skater. I could play my position and was responsible defensively, that's how I hung on for seven or eight (pro) years. I didn't have the speed or puck skills to be an offensive player.
“My last contract, which
I negotiated myself, it was a two-clause contract. One was as a player with (Jets GM) John Ferguson Sr. and we also put one in that if I retired as a player here was my salary as a coach, the level to be determined.”
A TOOTHLESS GRIN
Jamie Oleksiak lost a chiclet on a second-period play battling with Ondrej Palat, the price of doing business as far as the Dallas defenceman is concerned.
“I just went into the corner to make a hit and kind of got counter-hit ... ate a bit of elbow there but it is what it is, part of the game, right?” said the six-foot-seven Oleksiak.
THIS 'N THAT
Tampa pulled goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy down 3-1 late, got an extra skater out and iced the puck, then put the goalie back in for the defensive-zone draw. Why does the NHL allow that? “Very good question, you're asking the wrong guy,” said Bowness. “I didn't put it into the rule book, have to ask the officials. Good question though.” ... Bowness wants his defence in the offence. “When you see Andrej Sekera making the Gretzky plays behind the net (to set up Joel Kiviranta for the OT winner to put out Colorado), I love that but you better have a forward backing him up.”