Steven Stamkos was not victorious in his return to Tampa Bay.
It was an emotional night in Tampa Bay as the Tampa Bay Lightning faced off with the Nashville Predators. Predators star Steven Stamkos returned to Tampa as a visiting player for the first time in his career. The former Lightning captain tested NHL Free Agency after 16 years with the Bolts over the summer. And he landed with the Predators on July 1.
Unfortunately, the Predators did not pick up a win for their new star. Nashville fell behind 2-0 in the first period and went on to lose 3-2 in overtime. Stamkos did put up two points, providing an assist on each of Nashville's goals. After the game, he expressed how he felt as the night progressed.
“I thought we started a little sluggish in the game. They’ve got some skilled players that made some good plays, but we battled back,” the Predators forward said, via the team's official website. “And, for me, obviously a pretty weird night, pretty emotional. But, once the tribute happened, you kind of settle into the game, and then you focus on what you need to do to help your team win. And [we] just came up a little short tonight.”
Lightning show touching tribute to Predators' Steven Stamkos
Steven Stamkos and the Predators knew it would be a surreal night given the circumstances. And it did not take long for the tears to flow on Monday night. The Lightning played a special video package for the Amalie Arena crowd as a clearly emotional Stamkos looked on. He then took a lap on the ice on his own while saluting the crowd.
During the game, the Lightning got off to a hot start. Brayden Point scored his sixth goal of the season to give Tampa the 1-0 lead. At the end of the period, forward Mitchell Chaffee doubled the Lightning lead as they held a 2-0 lead over the Predators after one period of play.
The Predators showed signs of life, however. Veteran forward Ryan O'Reilly made Tampa pay by converting on the power play halfway through the middle frame. Then, Brady Skjei sent a beautiful outlet pass up the ice to Stamkos, who then found Gustav Nyquist in front of the goal to tie the game.
In overtime, the Lightning came away with the second point. Stamkos certainly wanted the win, but recording his first multi-point game for the Predators is a promising sign. Nashville retakes the ice on Halloween night when they play host to a potentially Connor McDavid-less Edmonton Oilers team.
