Steven Stamkos returned to Tampa on Sunday for the second time as a member of the Nashville Predators, a more routine visit compared to the emotional homecoming he had in his first trip back last season. After 16 years with one organization, the familiarity is still there, but this time felt like less of a shock.
“I think the first time, you don’t know how to prepare for that,” said Stamkos. “You don’t know what to expect. There’s obviously a lot of emotion, and it happened so quick last year, too. I think this year, it felt different. It felt more — not normal — but more normal than the first time, for sure.”
During pregame warmups, Lightning fans lined the glass with signs welcoming back their former captain as he took the ice on the visiting side. The game itself was back and forth, with both teams coming off a back-to-back and running on fumes amid a condensed schedule and the regular season winding down. In the end, the Lightning found a way to secure the two points, reclaiming the top spot in the Atlantic Division.
“It’s always great coming back here and seeing so many amazing, familiar faces, but it would be a little better if we could find a way to get a win with the position we’re in,” said Stamkos.
Nashville remains in the thick of the playoff race, holding on to the final spot with eight games left to play. They sit just one point ahead of the Los Angeles Kings following their third straight loss.
“It’s tough,” said Stamkos. “You’re playing a lot of hockey and you’re not practicing a lot. So sometimes you get those games where the execution isn’t great, and I thought tonight was one of those games. It was pretty sloppy early on. I thought, for as good a team Tampa is, they gave us a chance there at the beginning to do something with it. We didn’t. And then you let them linger around, and they found a way.”
The Predators started December near the bottom of the league but have managed to find their way back into the mix. Stamkos has been a key part of that, scoring 12 goals in that month alone. He now leads the league with 10 game-winning goals, with 25 of his 36 all coming at even strength.
© Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn ImagesFor Stamkos, this season has been about learning what works and what doesn’t with his team. He’s grown more comfortable with the group, and together they’ve adjusted to find a rhythm that works for them.
“The way we started the year, it was tough for everybody, and then we found a way to get better,” said Stamkos. “We're in the position that we are now, which is right in the mix. It's been a grind, for sure, but there's no quit in this group.”
The Predators parted ways with several key pieces at the NHL Trade Deadline in early March, moving on from players who had been part of the organization for years. The changes haven't been easy, but the group is pushing forward.
“We lost great guys that have been around the organization a long time, and it's tough,” said Stamkos. “But it gives the young guys an opportunity to come in and show what they can do, and we've relied on them. We went on that five-game win streak, now we've lost a few in a row. We’ve got to find a way to break it.."