GDT: 11/8/17 - 10:30PM EDT - Tampa Bay @ San Jose

[Lord Stan 2020]

Kucherov in sole possession of 9th in points in @TBLightning history now. Modin is next in line with 289, so 19 points to go.
Retweeted StatsCentre (@StatsCentre):
With a goal & 2 assists so far tonight in San Jose, Nikita Kucherov has tied Vinny Prospal for the 6th most 3+ point games all-time with the @TBLightning franchise (18)

Retweeted StatsCentre (@StatsCentre):
The @TBLightning easily handle the #Sharks 5-1 tonight, improving to an NHL-best record of 12-2-2. Their 26 points in the standings so far are the most through 16 games of a season in franchise history- 1 more than they had in their Stanley Cup-winning season of 2003-04 (11-2-3)

Retweeted StatsCentre (@StatsCentre):
With a pair of helpers so far tonight for the @TBLightning vs San Jose, Steven Stamkos becomes the 1st player to reach the 20 assist mark within his team's first 17 games of a season since Evgeni Malkin did it for the Penguins in 2008-09

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

LA chicago pitts and nashville are the bar so see what we do tomorrow I like our chances

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

Retweeted StatsCentre (@StatsCentre):
Among centremen over the past 25 years, only 4 names (5 different times) have recorded more points through their team's first 16 games of a season than Steven Stamkos's now 28 for his @TBLightning in 2017-18https://t.co/iMcl5s5ebX

Retweeted StatsCentre (@StatsCentre):
The @TBLightning are enjoying a great start thanks to several factors, but Nikita Kucherov's goal scoring is prime among them as his now 15 goals put him on this list of great European stars over the last 35 yearsStatsCentre on Twitter

crazy stuff going on

 

[Sky04]

I wanna see Stamkos break 100, it'll have been a long time coming.

A start like this is extremely rare, I hope he fully capitalizes on it. I don't care if it's an outlier season he never reaches again.

 

[dechire]

The first 5ish minutes were a little shaky and then the Bolts just took the game over completely. Great game.

It's still too early blah blah blah but watching the game tonight I was thinking that I was glad I didn't plan any regular season hockey trips this season so I'll have money for a playoff trip to Tampa

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

Where the hell did this version of Namestnikov come from?

 

[JoVel]

Where the hell did this version of Namestnikov come from?

Mostly from Kucherov and Stamkos.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

 

[Stormbreaker]

 

[LightningStrikes]

That 5-on-4 goal was bizarre.

1st line was steamrolling them. Nice to see Dotchin and KK get on the scoreboard.

 

[Stamper]

I wanna see Stamkos break 100, it'll have been a long time coming.

A start like this is extremely rare, I hope he fully capitalizes on it. I don't care if it's an outlier season he never reaches again.

Agree, especially after how bad his luck with injuries has been the past few years.

Irony in that being injured so much while before he had never had a major injury in his career, he might have found some clarity in how to become a better player.

 

[The Macho King]

I love reading shit like this.

 

[DFC]

I love reading **** like this.

Me too. Feels like jumping in a time machine to 2015. I feel like this was the team we thought we were going to have in 2017. We just took a lot of detours on the way here.

It's awesome seeing us out-skate and out-hustle teams again.

 

[JoVel]

Me too. Feels like jumping in a time machine to 2015. I feel like this was the team we thought we were going to have in 2017. We just took a lot of detours on the way here.

It's awesome seeing us out-skate and out-hustle teams again.

The only thing you have to do is look at Point on the penalty kill and you'll realize "holy shit, we're fast again".

 

[DFC]

The only thing you have to do is look at Point on the penalty kill and you'll realize "holy ****, we're fast again".

And we're ALWAYS moving the puck forward now. We're not stopping at the blueline to wait for help, or regrouping in the neutral zone. If a play's there, we make it, and if not, we dump and chase. With our speed, dump and chase works pretty well. But we're much more north-south now than we were in those two dark years.

 

[JoVel]

I thought about creating a thread on the main boards about Dotchin's first goal and then praise him from top to bottom just to piss everyone off. Then I decided not to, someone can take the responsibility if they feel so.

 

[Flat Ronnie]

I agree Stamkos has adapted/matured as a player. He is realizing that he can be just as effective creating as finishing. He's got his motor going pretty hard every game and doing really well on the wall.

One thing I think should be noted is that I think it's likely he sees that Kuch is in a zone right now - where he feels everything is gonna go in the net. If anyone knows about being in a zone like this it's Stamkos. Since he's recognized this he' doing everything he can to get the puck to him at all costs.

Also, the holes in both of their games are convenienly complementing themselves right now. Stamkos has been full effort/energy but makes some bad passes, while Kuch has been basically the opposite - coasts sometime but doesn't make too many mistakes.

This is becoming so eerily similar to St Louis/Stamkos of old but with reversed roles. Stamkos is doing a lot of the dirty work and drawing a lot of attention, while Kuch is being stealth and finding the holes and finishing.

Crazy to watch....

 

[The Macho King]

I agree Stamkos has adapted/matured as a player. He is realizing that he can be just as effective creating as finishing. He's got his motor going pretty hard every game and doing really well on the wall.

One thing I think should be noted is that I think it's likely he sees that Kuch is in a zone right now - where he feels everything is gonna go in the net. If anyone knows about being in a zone like this it's Stamkos. Since he's recognized this he' doing everything he can to get the puck to him at all costs.

Also, the holes in both of their games are convenienly complementing themselves right now. Stamkos has been full effort/energy but makes some bad passes, while Kuch has been basically the opposite - coasts sometime but doesn't make too many mistakes.

This is becoming so eerily similar to St Louis/Stamkos of old but with reversed roles. Stamkos is doing a lot of the dirty work and drawing a lot of attention, while Kuch is being stealth and finding the holes and finishing.

Crazy to watch....

I don't see the MSL/Stamkos comparison. MSL/Stamkos were all about speed and scoring off the rush - this line is more about puck control and just turning defenses inside out.

 

[Flat Ronnie]

I don't see the MSL/Stamkos comparison. MSL/Stamkos were all about speed and scoring off the rush - this line is more about puck control and just turning defenses inside out.

There were a lot of goals that came of St Louis doing dirty work on the boards, drawing attention and getting the puck to Stamkos whole found the holes and finished. That's more where the comparison comes in for me.

Also, the run Kuch is on is similar to what Stamkos did for a few years back then.

 

[Sky04]

I don't see the MSL/Stamkos comparison. MSL/Stamkos were all about speed and scoring off the rush - this line is more about puck control and just turning defenses inside out.

Yeah I don't see it either, it's not like MSL/VL4 either, Kuch and Stamkos have created something different where both guys are so feared it creates space for everyone else on the ice.

 

[Sky04]

Agree, especially after how bad his luck with injuries has been the past few years.

Irony in that being injured so much while before he had never had a major injury in his career, he might have found some clarity in how to become a better player.

He was found this level even before his injury, that 17 game stretch in 2013/14 is still the best hockey I've seen Stamkos play to date, something triggered in him that season and everything was put together - he felt like a one-man wrecking machine despite playing with MSL.

After the injury he tried to play at that level again but it just didn't seem to click. He's not as individually dominant this year despite his huge PPG, to me it looks like a reflection of what happens when you give an elite offensive talent too much time to make decisions on the ice - credit to Kuch that seems to be his special ability to draw players to his side, defenders don't seem to be as zoned into Stamkos as previously.

 

[Sky04]

Me too. Feels like jumping in a time machine to 2015. I feel like this was the team we thought we were going to have in 2017. We just took a lot of detours on the way here.

It's awesome seeing us out-skate and out-hustle teams again.

Our 2015 team wasn't really thaat good, I remember seeing a ton of flaws and being carried by a single line and Ben Bishop. The PP sucked, Stamkos line wasn't very good on most nights, Filppula and Boyle lines were pretty boring to watch. This team is significantly more entertaining down the lineup and a better product overall.

 

[DFC]

I think the thing that's most impressive about stamkos right now is it's not like he's just looking for kucherov. Mostl he's using the space created by kucherov to make a smart play to someone else. I doubt stamkos has a lot of primary assists on kucherov's goals. Stamkos seems to be setting up Namestnikov and guys like sergachev a lot more often than kucherov. I think that's more impressive.

 

[RegularSznAllStars]

San Jose was flying for the first 5 minutes. Then the bolts picked up and it was a great first period of back and forth hockey. Then the bolts just took complete control. Great performance by this team. Think we all knew they were capable of this kind of hockey, just so weird to actually see it happen. Love it.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

above kucherov is making a lot of mistakes he made at least 12 tournovers yesterday but hes gotten sooooo aggressive and good that he takes the puck back when he makes a bad pass etc.. is pretty amazing to see....

I dont know if was 12 but he messed up passes a lot last 2-3 games meaning kucherov is a little off hes not at that zone maybe a lot of you think hes at and that should really be extremely scary lol cause if he hits that zone ohhhh my what will he do!!

stamkos has been awesome to watch hes out there working it with vladdy etc.. as you all said.... he is playing his top hockey still is not shooting great so just think if kucherov stops making so many mistakes passes etc.. and stamkos goes 60 goal mode? OHH MY