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Stamkos, Ovechkin Making History At Forum

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 19, 2009

Updated: 03/19/2009 08:43 pm

TAMPA - Youth is being served Thursday night at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Lightning rookie and 2008 overall No. 1 pick Steven Stamkos scored his 16th goal of the season in the first period, the second most scored by a rookie in franchise history.

And before that, Washington All-Star Alex Ovechkin scored his 50th goal of the season, becoming only the second active player in the league with three 50-goal seasons.

Ovechkin rushed the puck up from center ice, darted around Matt Pettinger just inside the Tampa Bay blue line before firing a shot from the right circle past the glove of Tampa Bay goaltender Mike McKenna at the 7:43 mark of the first period. The goal gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead at the time. In 28 career games against the Lightning, Ovechkin now has scored 18 goals, including four in four meetings between the teams this season.

After he scored the goal, Ovechkin dropped his stick just to the right of the Tampa Bay net and waved his hands over it and wiggled his fingers as if he was putting on a magic act. Ovechkin then summoned some of his teammates over to take part in the celebration.

Shortly thereafter, with Tampa Bay on the power play, Vinny Lecavalier took a one-timer from the right point off a feed from Matt Lashoff. Lecavalier's shot caromed off the mask of Washington goaltender Simeon Varlamov to an open Stamkos at the bottom of the left circle at the 17:39 mark of the period that tied the game 1-1. The goal was the 10th for Stamkos in the past 17 games and also extended his scoring streak to four games.

Coming into the game, Stamkos has been tied with Ryan Craig, Daymond Langkow and Rob Zamuner for second most goals by a rookie in franchise history. Brad Richards holds the team record with 21 goals in 2000-01.

With 11 games left in the season after Thursday's game against Washington, Stamkos has the opportunity to reach the 20-goal mark, which would be a significant milestone for the 19-year-old after he started the season with six goals in his first 51 games played. Along the way he has been criticized by former coach Barry Melrose, who suggested Stamkos was not ready to play in the NHL, and was a healthy scratch on three occasions as Lightning interim coach Rick Tocchet put him on a strength and conditioning program that started in January.

"I think it would be huge for him," Tocchet said. "What he's done in the short time in which we have really been working with him on just the off-ice stuff, imagine the development he will have with the whole summer to work out. If you look at this season, where after the first two months where some people thought he wouldn't get 10 goals, and now he has probably been one of our best forwards over the past 15 games, to be able to do that is a helluva feather in the cap for somebody who is 19 years old heading into next season."

Tocchet said he has been impressed with how Stamkos has grown in the later half of this year.

"He's learning what it takes at this level to be consistent," Tocchet said. "He's taken the ball and run with it. He hasn't missed a workout. He's always on the ice working after practice and in the video room. He's doing everything possible to be a better player. That's what I like about him. You don't have to constantly remind him to do stuff."

The same could certainly be said of Ovechkin. In his fourth season in the NHL, the Russian superstar has never scored fewer than 46 goals. In his rookie season he scored 52 en route to winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. Ovechkin followed that up with 46 his second year before leading the league with 65 goals last season.

The Ducks' Teemu Selanne is the other active player with three 50-goal seasons.

Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835

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