Tampa Bay reportedly offered Stamkos an eight-year, $68 million deal, and the 25-year-old doesn’t exactly seem thrilled about it. Stamkos claims he won’t discuss the offer or any other contract talks publicly and it’s not hard to understand why.
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We all know it’s going to take more than $8.5 million a year to get Stamkos to sign on for eight more years, but the Lightning have to be willing to offer that much. The Tampa Bay Lightning would prevent the Maple Leafs from making a single shot on goal for the first 12:35 of the game.
In some respects, you imagine the Leafs would love to sign Stamkos, just to stop him scoring against them.
Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier (45) makes a save on a shot by the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, in Tampa, Fla. Tampa Bay, facing a stretch of one game in 11 days, hoped to bounce back from a disappointing loss Saturday to the first-place Panthers. An early power-play goal by Schenn made it 1-0 Flyers, and then a turnover by Evgeny Kuznetsov served up White for his fifth goal of the season that Holtby had no chance of stopping.
Bernier made 22 saves in Toronto’s 5-4 home overtime loss to the Lightning on December 15, in which Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov each posted a goal and an assist. Toronto pulled its goalie for the final two minutes but couldn’t even the score. The Lightning had six power plays in game, with Stamkos’ victor with the extra man being the difference.
Tampa Bay coaches held a meeting with players Tuesday morning, emphasizing the importance of focus in the final game before the All-Star break, which begins today. Toronto had seven of the first nine shots during the opening eight minutes of the second. “Every save, he was under complete control”.
After Morgan Rielly had a shot go off the crossbar 2 minutes into the third, Dion Phaneuf’s in-close power-play shot four minutes later was stopped by Vasilevskiy.
NOTES: Toronto is 0-7-6 in Atlantic Division games this season.
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After allowing just four goals total in winning his four previous starts, Bishop permitted four on 30 shots before being removed at the second intermission. We look at three keys which will help determine if Toronto can gain some revenge. That said, the Lightning took him with the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NHL Draft and he’s rewarded them by racking up 296 goals and 535 points during his eight years in the league.
