Lightning celebrate Steven Stamkos return to Tampa Bay with overtime victory

It was both an emotional and exhilarating night at Amalie Arena as the Tampa Bay Lightning welcomed back their former captain, Steven Stamkos, during the 31st ever Sports Equinox. The last time Stamkos took to the ice at Amalie was during the playoffs last season, when the Lightning won Game 4 against the Florida Panthers. Although that victory was Tampa’s only win in the series, Bolts fans can always cherish the memory of their former captain’s final victory with the team coming on home ice—and in the playoffs.

The game started with a dominant first period from the Lightning, featuring an incredible toe-drag backhand goal from Brayden Point—a highlight that will be replayed for decades. Later in the period, Mitchell Chaffee doubled the Bolts’ lead, scoring his third goal of the season in dramatic fashion as he came off the bench to receive a breakaway pass from Brayden Point with less than a minute to play in the first. For Chaffee, it was a moment of redemption after missing an open net earlier in the period.

Before the scoring began, the Lightning honoured Stamkos with a video tribute, who somehow managed to keep his composure, even as emotions ran high—a testament to his poise in contrast to many players overwhelmed by such moments. For fans interested, we’ve linked the tribute video below.

In the second period, the momentum shifted as the Nashville Predators pushed back hard, tying the game with two goals. Losing a two-goal lead never feels great, and it's becoming an all-too-common trend in the NHL, but on this night, the crowd cheered as Stamkos assisted on both Predators’ goals, raising the stakes for a thrilling, winner-takes-all third period. Not only did fans get the pleasure of hearing Stamkos’ name announced twice after the goals, but they also witnessed an exciting, competitive game—something that’s not guaranteed when a team as talented as Tampa pulls ahead early.

While Stamkos' start in his new city has been slower than expected, with just one point in the first eight games, it was a joy for fans to see him on the scoresheet here, assisting on both goals that forced the game into overtime. Though the Lightning aren't the strongest in 3-on-3 overtime, getting an extra period is always a crowd-pleaser, adding to the night’s thrill for those in attendance.

Jake Guentzel gets his 500th career point

The overtime winner scored by Nick Paul was an extra special moment for one of the team's newest players as Guentzel picked up his 500th career point in the NHL with the assist on the game-winning goal.

What stood out even more than Stamkos wearing a yellow jersey, was Nikita Kucherov playing on the left side of the power play. In recent games, head coach Jon Cooper has been experimenting with setups to help fill the void left by Stamkos, but it’s clear Kucherov isn’t the ideal fit there.

Moving Kucherov limits the impact of his lethal right-side one-timer, making the power play noticeably less intimidating. Perhaps Cooper intended to test out Brandon Hagel in that spot, but both he and Kucherov looked instantly more comfortable after switching back at around the 13:50 mark in the third period, immediately generating a high-danger scoring chance.

Bolts fans can only hope this marks the end of Kucherov’s stint on the left side. He belongs on the right, where he can maximize his offensive skill-set to its full potential. Thankfully, it’s still early in the season, so these experiments aren’t too concerning—but it was still puzzling to see.

Unfortunately, Kucherov’s consecutive point streak ended at eight games, the second-longest in franchise history, just shy of the record—an 11-game streak held in a three-way tie by Martin St. Louis (2009), Stamkos (2017), and Kucherov himself (2017). He nearly extended it with a slick goal in the second period, but it was called back for an offside infraction unrelated to the play. Then, towards the end of the game he couldn’t capitalize on a breakaway opportunity in overtime. It’s rare to see him held off the scoresheet, so fans can expect a big performance in the upcoming clash against the Colorado Avalanche and last year’s MVP, Nathan MacKinnon.

Watching these star-studded rosters square off is always a thrill—a matchup NHL fans only get to see twice a season, making it even more must-see. With the Lightning looking better game by game and their reputation of rising to the challenge against top-tier opponents, fans should look forward to this showdown and standout performances from some of hockey's biggest stars.