The belief has always been there for the Lightning.
The belief has always been there for the Lightning.
When you think of the blue Tampa Bay Lightning jersey, you think of Steven Stamkos. At 18-years old he was the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NHL draft, 16 years later he’s the face of the Lightning franchise. Stamkos is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and his accolades continue to grow with each season. When you ask him about his time in Tampa so far, his face will tell you everything you need to know.
“To be able to see how far this community has come in terms of being a hockey town is pretty cool,” Stamkos said with a big smile. “The evolution of what it was like when I first got here, and the build up to the championship years. I don't know what the consecutive sellout streak is right now, but I think we’re number one by a mile.”
“It's really cool to be able to play in the community and climate that we do and to have the lifestyle that we have, but to have the support is everything. That's why we always say, it's the best place in the world to play hockey.”
Back in 2008, it would have been difficult to envision the Lightning at the level they’re at today. The sport of hockey is now intertwined into the fabric of Tampa Bay. If you take an afternoon drive through the neighborhoods surrounding Amalie Arena, you’ll see young kids playing street hockey in Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov jerseys. Lightning flags and banners cover the sides of the buildings downtown, and you can always find your local grocery store clerk decked out in blue.
“You get the best of everything here, including the fans. The support is something that doesn't go unnoticed. We notice all of it, and this is when it really becomes the best, is when the playoffs start. You see the flags on all of the cars and buildings, and you feed off that when you're driving into games and practices. It's fun.”
As the Lightning embark on another playoff journey for the seventh consecutive season, Stamkos is leading by example. He’s most proud of his team’s ability to push through the adversity they’ve had this season.
The Lightning can often fly under the radar in comparison to other teams around the league, but the truth is, they experienced their fair share of challenges this season. A new roster, an injured Andrei Vasilevskiy to start the season, and the natural transitions of a team battling the salary cap.
“Every year you have the goal of making the playoffs, and it's hard. Certainly, there were times this season where maybe that didn't look like it was going to be the case from the outside, but this group in here always had that belief,” said Stamkos.
“With 20-25 games left, we understood the situation that we were in and we knew we had to play some really good hockey to get ourselves into the playoffs. That's what I'm proud of, we were able to accomplish that.”
The Lightning have found a difficult match in Round One against the Florida Panthers. One extra power play goal or few bounces going their way and the series would be tied. Instead they’re back at Amalie Arena on Thursday night, down 2-0.
Regardless of what the numbers say, the belief in the room has not wavered. Stamkos knows as well as anyone what’s needed to be successful in the postseason. He’s been here before when the Lightning defeated the New York Rangers in the 2022 East Conference Final. They flew back to Tampa down 0-2 and won the series in 6 games.
“He's got a lot of experience,” said Lightning forward Nick Paul. “He knows when to speak up and let us know what what's going on and what we need to give, and then when to kind of lay off. It just comes with a lot of experience.”
“He definitely has a hold on this room and he's a big part of everything that goes on.”
Stamkos has performed well so far in the playoffs, a subtle reminder of the high level he continues to play at 16 years later. His famous one-timer from “the office” has already made a few appearances.
His shot was so powerful in a Game 2 power play goal, that the puck flew off the side of Sergei Bobrovsky’s mask, unraveling the strap and forcing them to stop the play. The belief in their ability to win these next two games is still there.
"You've just got to win the next game,” said Stamkos. “Take care of one game at a time and the swings of momentum and ebbs and flows of a series. Obviously, it's a big hole, but we have done it before. We've just got to win the next game."