Tampa Bay Lightning Year In Review: Steven Stamkos

Now that the season has come to a close, let’s take a look at back at the fantastic season of Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos.

The Tampa Bay Lightning had a tremendous 2014-15 season that turned out to be the rollercoaster ride of a lifetime not only for the fans on the edge of their seats, but the players on the ice as well. While the season may not have ended the way that we wanted it to, it was worth every minute of the ride.

Now that the season has come to an end, and Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman alongside Tampa Bay Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper set their sights on building the team for the 2015-16 season, we now take a look back at the fantastic season had by one Steven Stamkos.

The old saying has always gone, “There is no I in team.” There is a lot of truth in that statement. The success and/or failure of a team is not dependent on one singular player. At the same time, when your team has a strong nucleus, like the Tampa Bay Lightning has in captain Steven Stamkos, they are far more likely to succeed in their quest for greatness.

The two-time Rocket Richard winning forward has a pretty amazing season as the captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stamkos played in all 82 regular season games with the Lightning this season, and in that amount of time he was able to register a whopping 43 goals and 29 assists for a total of 72 points.

Steven Stamkos’ 43 goals almost set him up for yet another Rocket Richard Trophy to place on his mantle, but he ultimately ended the regular season in second place. The only player in the NHL to surpass Stamkos’ 43 goals was Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin with 53 goals.

Unfortunately, the post season was not quite as eventful for the Tampa Bay Lightning captain. Playing in all 26 games the Lightning played in their spectacular post season journey, Steven Stamkos scored just 7 goals and 11 assists for a total of 18 points.

This paled in comparison to the 13 goals put up by center Tyler Johnson and the 10 goals scored by Johnson’s linemate Nikita Kucherov. Stamkos’ lack of production in the post season led to all sorts of criticism from analysts to fans alike.

While this was definitely not the Steven Stamkos that we are used to seeing, there is a certain air of maturity that comes with the way that Stamkos handled the entire situation. He was always the first one to take responsibility, not only for his performance on the ice, but that of his teammates as well.

He also held nothing back when it came to discussing where the Tampa Bay Lightning fell short and what they would need to do if they wanted to get back in the game.

After Steven Stamkos returned from his broken leg, it was plain to see that he had his reservations. He looked hesitant to charge the net, and his shot just didn’t have the same zing to it. Thankfully, it is pretty clear that Stamkos is making his way out of the darkness and becoming more and more of the strong leader that the Tampa Bay Lightning need as they head into the 2015-16 season.

There are all sorts of rumors making their way around the internet now about the state of Stamkos’ contract and those who are terrified that Stamkos is going to be looking for greener pastures when his contract expires.

At this point, the one thing we have to say is take a deep breath, exhale, and calm down. Steven Stamkos has already said that he wants to win a championship with the same group of guys that he is with right now. That is not something that you say when you are preparing to run for the hills.

Also, anyone who has been a fan of the Tampa Bay Lightning since Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman came on the scene knows that Yzerman is not going to simply let a talent like Steven Stamkos walk out the door. When the time is right, Yzerman will make his move, and not before.

At the end of the day, Steven Stamkos had a stellar season. Each and every time he takes the ice he is becoming the captain that the Tampa Bay Lightning and their fans know, love, and deserve. We can’t wait to see what he has in store for us next season.

How many goals do you think Steven Stamkos will be able to score next season? Do you think Stamkos has what it takes to add another Rocket Richard Trophy to his resume? Will Stamkos be able to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2015-16? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Next: Tampa Bay Lightning: How Elite Is Ben Bishop?

Now that the season has come to a close, let’s take a look at back at the fantastic season of Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos.

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