Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos is reaching the rarefied air of an elite athlete. Every night it seems like the 22-year-old is winning a game for his team, which just 10 days ago was a seller at the NHL trade deadline and now, thanks in part to the electric Stamkos, is pushing for an Eastern Conference playoff berth. Stamkos, in town Thursday to face the Caps in a crucial game for both teams’ playoff chances, has 48 goals this season. Entering play Wednesday, that was 10 more than the next closest player, Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin. That’s a monster season, and with 16 games left it could rival what Alex Ovechkin did for the Caps in 2007-08 (65 goals, 112 points).
“That’s the way it works for those players. It’s like [Ovechkin]. He comes out and he scores game-winners for us all the time like the one in overtime just the other day [against the New York Islanders],” Washington defenseman Karl Alzner said. “That’s what those players do. It’s like when you’re playing video games. They’re the Game Breakers on the video game. That’s why they get that tag because they can go out there, and when you’re against the wall they do it.”
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It can be impossible to contain players like that when they get going. We haven’t seen it as much from Ovechkin (26 goals, 23 assists) lately. Stamkos had 51 goals two years ago in a breakthrough campaign and another 45 last season. He is seeking his third consecutive 90-plus point campaign and — if the Lightning somehow make the playoffs — has to be considered a favorite for the Hart Trophy as league MVP.
– Brian McNally
