On a night his team desperately needed a victory, Steven Stamkos flew around the ice like he normally does. Speeding into the offensive zone and generating chance after chance for himself and his linemates, Stamkos has become one of the most deadly weapons in the NHL, all at the ripe age of 20 years old.
Stamkos scored two goals and added an assist in the Lightning's 6-2 thrashing of Atlanta Saturday night.
The goals brought his total to 40 on the season, and his power-play score (16th of the season) tied a team record. Stamkos also extended his point streak to 16 games, longest in NHL history for a player his age.
For a guy former coach Barry Melrose termed "not ready for the NHL," Stamkos has certainly taken the league by storm.
It took him quite a while to find his footing in his rookie season. Then-interim head coach Rick Tocchet scratched him from the lineup for several games for a "conditioning stint."
When Stamkos came back, he began to morph into the elite player he has since become. From the All-Star break last season, only Alexander Ovechkin has more goals than Stamkos.
One of the greatest players in ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by JC De La Torre
Lordy, Lordy, Steven Stamkos Hits 40: Lightning Youngster Reaches Goal Milestone
March 7th, 2010 by JC De La Torre Leave a reply »
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