Steven Stamkos gives Bolts a jolt with 8th career hat trick
TAMPA, Fla. -- Hats fluttered onto the ice from all directions, a blizzard of fabric falling from the sky, each a symbol of admiration for a maturing star. Most knew a breakout moment for Steven Stamkos, the Tampa Bay Lightning's spirit and soul, was only a matter of time, his knack for finding the net part of his DNA.
This moment, with 1:46 left in the second period Monday at Amalie Arena during Tampa Bay's 7-1 rout of those pesky Montreal Canadiens, captured what he can be when he's most dangerous: An offensive force, a jolt of adrenaline on blades, a clap of thunder with a stick. He had no goals after two games before this night. He left the ice here with three, a satisfying triple, with the promise of more to come.
"I've learned over the years that you stick with it, you get one, you know the flood gates open after that," said Stamkos, who earned his eighth career hat trick, which ties Marty St. Louis for the team record. "You play with more confidence. You have a little more poise with the puck. I think that was the case tonight."
Stamkos was a relatively quiet offensive presence throughout his opening two games this season, against the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators. He earned an assist in a shootout loss to the Senators on Saturday night at Amalie Arena, but beyond that lone impression, there was little else to capture on a stat sheet. That reality had the feel of a brief illusion, like water rippling before an approaching storm.
Stamkos' offensive awakening swept Amalie Arena on Monday, both fast and furious, with him serving as the blue blur that sank the team that ousted the Lightning in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals last season. This was a sweet-and-fitting chasing of ghosts, led by the man who Tampa Bay anticipates can lift everyone in his dressing room to greater reward than last season.
So the right stick did the heavy lifting, and it's eerie how similar this offensive breakout was to what he lived last year. To begin, Stamkos went three games without scoring a goal. Then he totaled three in Tampa Bay's victory over Florida on Oct. 10, 2013 in this same building, his wait over, a 25-goal campaign underway.
Stamkos, with his continued growth, has come to trust his talent and that the goals will arrive in a steady flow, a constant stream after the initial drip. The first Monday came on a power play in the first period with assists from Ryan Callahan and Victor Hedman. The second, in the second with an assist from Hedman. The third, on another power-play score with assists from Hedman and Valtteri Filppula.
"He's still trending upward, I think," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "He's got a lot more to give. But Stammer's a shooter, a scorer."
Indeed, he is. Stamkos is hockey's equivalent of Miguel Cabrera. There's a sense of wonder whenever he controls the puck near the net, just as there's a rush of "What if?" possibility whenever the Detroit Tigers star infielder steps into the batter's box and eyes a fat fastball down the middle, the potential for fireworks alive with each breath.
Stamkos offers the Lightning so many things -- evolving leadership as he navigates his first full season as captain, stunning consistency when healthy, maturity with depth uncommon for someone 24 years old -- but he creates the most excitement with his penchant for making goaltenders' lives miserable.
That's tantalizing for friends. That's torture for foes.
Stammertime is heaven for Lightning fans and teammates. Stammertime is hell for the opposition. Stammertime can lift Tampa Bay to uncommon heights, if all goes according to plan, if all falls into place.
"The more goals, the merrier for me," Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop said. "It makes my job a lot easier. And it just shows why he's one of the best."
It's no secret that Stamkos must be the engine that gives life to the Lightning's ambition this season. If he glides, Tampa Bay will prosper. If he sputters, Tampa Bay will stall. It's hard to predict another outcome.
That's the way it should be. Hockey is such a team game, it's rare one player can make such a singular difference. But Stamkos stands as an exception, his value clear to the Lightning before he accepted the "C" following St. Louis' trade last season, his talent the fuel in Tampa Bay's drive to become a contender in the Eastern Conference again.
"He didn't score in the first (two) games, and he's a goal-scorer," Hedman said. "He got the first one. You knew it was going to come. So I wasn't surprised to see that he scored three tonight."
Late Monday, Stamkos stood near a wall in his dressing room, pleased with his latest offensive awakening, content with another job well done. Everyone knew a breakout was coming. His case was a comfortable matter of when, not if, and it was enough to make the young star crack a grin.
"I know for a lot of people, two games without a goal is not a big deal," Stamkos said, chuckles lifting from some in the media scrum nearby.
"To start the year especially, you want to just get that first one out of the way. It's good for my mental state as well, and it felt good after that to just have that extra step, that extra jump."
Now the task is moving onward and upward, as far as he and the Lightning can travel together.
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
