Steven Stamkos turned back the clock Thursday night, lighting up the St. Louis Blues with four goals in a stunning 7-2 Predators win.
It’s a performance Nashville fans have been waiting to see since Stamkos joined the team. The 34-year-old sniper became just the fourth player in Predators history to score four goals in a game, joining Eric Nystrom, Rocco Grimaldi and Filip Forsberg in the record books.
That’s pretty rare company. In fact, it’s only the 78th time any NHL player has scored four goals in a game since 2005.
The breakout couldn’t have come at a better time. Stamkos has struggled to find his groove in Nashville since signing a four-year deal before this season. The Predators were betting big on the veteran forward, who’d just come off an impressive 40-goal season.
But the adjustment hasn’t been easy.
He managed just 27 goals last year – way down from his usual numbers. And this season started even rougher, with just two goals in his first 15 games.
Things are finally starting to click though. With Thursday’s explosion, Stamkos has now buried eight goals in his last eight games. He’s starting to look more like the guy who’s been one of the NHL’s deadliest scorers of the past decade, second only to Alex Ovechkin.
The hot streak probably won’t save Nashville’s season – they’re still near the bottom of the standings. But it could make Stamkos an attractive trade target for playoff contenders looking to add some firepower.
For a Predators team that might be ready to rebuild, that timing couldn’t be better.
