Steven Stamkos scoring at a point-per-game pace shouldn’t be considered noteworthy.
The 18-year veteran recently crossed the 1,200-point threshold in his 1,191st career game, so scoring six points in six games for the Nashville Predators isn’t surprising.
But considering how this season started for him, with just five points in his first 22 games, it feels like a tidal wave of scoring.
“It’s definitely improved,” he said after practice at Bridgestone Arena on Dec. 8. “And it’s just nice to be doing it in some wins.”
Though the Predators (10-14-14, 24 points) are coming off a 6-3 loss to Carolina on Dec. 6, they have won four of their past six games, including a 2-1 overtime win over the Florida Panthers, thanks to Stamkos’ unconventional game-winning goal.
Stamkos has recently joined Ryan O’Reilly and Luke Evangelista on the top line. In the past six games, they have combined for seven goals at 5-on-5.
“I think we shook up some things in the lines and it’s been going great,” Stamkos said. “It’s not that other lines weren’t playing well, we just weren’t winning. When you’re not winning, coaches try to change it up and that’s what happened here.”
Steven Stamkos busy finding ‘quiet ice’ for Nashville Predators
Earlier in the season, Stamkos was moved from wing to center out of necessity. Desperate for more offense from the center position, coach Andrew Brunette thought playing center might get Stamkos more touches.
But as it turns out, Stamkos doesn’t need more touches to score goals. Having the puck attracts defenders. Instead, he needs room away from the puck.
“I’ve made a living trying to find the quiet ice,” Stamkos said. “Get into areas where guys can hit you with passes and utilize your shot. From a goal-scoring perspective, I haven’t been a guy that is going end-to-end and dangling around guys. Just trying to find the quiet areas on the ice where I can get my shot off.”
Now that Stamkos is with O’Reilly and Evangelista, he has more room to use his elite shooting ability. While his linemates chase the pucks in the corner, he’s ready in the middle of the ice.
Tactically, it’s a good move from Brunette. While it’s working, he plans to keep that unit together.
“(Stamkos) is finding the holes, those empty pockets of ice,” Brunette said. “He’s been reading off of (O’Reilly) and (Evangelista) well, I think they play a similar kind of game and he’s had some really good looks and some goals.”
Next up, the Predators host the Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 9 (8:30 p.m. CT, TNT).
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.