While the Tampa Bay Lightning captain will not play tomorrow night against the Detroit Red Wings, Steven Stamkos has been elevated to Day-to-Day status.
The moment Tampa Bay Lightning fans have been waiting for all season long may be closer than some would’ve initially believed. No, we’re not talking about the start of the postseason, which is still very much a possibility for the team. We are talking about the return of Lightning captain Steven Stamkos.
As just about everyone here in the Bolts Nation knows by now, Steven Stamkos had his season come to a screeching halt on Nov. 15 when an awkward fall along the boards caused Stamkos to leave the game. Unfortunately for Lightning fans, this is the last time he’d be seen on the ice all season long.
Just 24 hours after his injury, the Tampa Bay Lightning would announce Stamkos was considered to be “out indefinitely” while the team and their medical staff attempted to ascertain the nature and severity of Stammer’s injury and put together a solid plan for his recovery. Once again, the answer was not the one fans hoped for.
Tampa Bay Lightning
After another 24 hours had come to pass, the team announced Steven Stamkos would be forced to miss 4-6 months after undergoing surgery to repair a lateral tear in his right meniscus. This would be the third time in his career Stamkos has been sidelined long-term with a serious injury.
As one could easily imagine, as soon as Stamkos reached the four-month mark in his recovery, the questions started pouring in. The main question everyone asked is “When Steven Stamkos would be making his return to the ice?” Unfortunately, this is not an easy question to answer. There are many variables involved.
Finally, on Mar. 18, Steven Stamkos made a statement which – for the most part – would put an end to the incessant repetitive questions. Stamkos said very clearly, “when I feel 100 percent, I’ll be back playing.”
Well, it seems as if Stammer may be well on his way to being 100 percent once again. After practice today, as the Lightning prepares to do battle with one of their biggest Atlantic Division rivals, the Detroit Red Wings, Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper gave fans an inspiring update on the 27-year-old Lightning captain.
"“I think we can start putting him in the Day-to-Day category now,” Cooper said. “I don’t see him playing against Detroit, but after that I’d say it’s getting really close.”"
While there has been absolutely nothing set in stone at this moment, based on the comments of Coach Cooper, there is a reason to believe Steven Stamkos may be ready to make his return to the ice Saturday night when the Lightning take on the Montreal Canadiens.
Now, allow us to offer a word of advice to everyone before we move on. Saturday is Apr. 1. In other words, Saturday is April Fool’s Day. Before you get your hopes up only to find out it’s some cruel April Fool’s Day joke, please make sure whatever you’re reading is based in fact and not well-crafted fiction.
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No matter whether Stamkos makes his return on Saturday night or one of the other seven games remaining before the end of the regular season, there is no denying having someone like the captain back in the lineup would be a tremendous boost for the team, not just on the ice but in the locker room as well.
Before succumbing to injury in November, Steven Stamkos was well on his way to dominating the National Hockey League and leading the way in terms of scoring. In the 17 games he played before his injury, Stamkos brought home nine goals and 11 assists for a total of 20 points.
There is no way to know how different the landscape of the league would look right now had Steven Stamkos never been injured. They say hindsight is 20/20, but there are some things which no matter how hard we try will forever be unknown. This is one of those things.
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What we do know for sure is the Tampa Bay Lightning has a challenging couple weeks ahead of them. If the Lightning hopes to surpass the Boston Bruins and jump into the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, they are going to have to play consistently and keep momentum on their side. The Bolts have been to the show before and they can do it again. It’ll all come down to how bad they want it.