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Stamkos scoring this time

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 3, 2009

PHILADELPHIA - During his first trip last season to his hometown of Toronto, Steven Stamkos fielded questions from the hometown media about why he was struggling. When the top pick in the 2008 draft makes his first trip home this season for tonight's game, the subject matter will be the complete opposite.

"Everybody was asking me why I wasn't scoring last year," Stamkos said, "and I think maybe they'd be asking me why I am this year."

That's because Stamkos is tied for second in the league with 11 goals and carries a six-game goal-scoring streak into tonight's game. Last season he didn't reach his 11th goal of the season until Feb. 24.

It's a far cry from last season when he was the subject of a team-driven media blitz, putting his name on billboards all over town and setting up a Web site that was viewed by fans from around the world. Though he said the hype never put any undo pressure on him, there certainly is more of an air of confidence about the 19-year-old.

"He's a grounded kid, nothing really bothers him," Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said. "I read the other day where he said it wasn't so much the billboards, it was the pressure he put on himself. We've talked about it, we took some of that pressure off and let him just be Steven Stamkos. Him being Steven has been pretty good so far."

More Vinny talk

Tocchet was asked again prior to Monday's game about shuffling around the lines and breaking up the unit of Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis and James Wright and moving Lecavalier between Stephane Veilleux and Drew Miller.

"This is something in which we are still trying to find an identity here and the coaching staff, we don't just throw darts at a dart board, we think these things through. You look at the chances for and against and all that sort of stuff," Tocchet said.

Tocchet said he's not placing any blame on Lecavalier, who he said will continue to get his opportunities no matter who Lecavalier skates with.

"Vinny is still playing 20 minutes, he's still playing first-unit power play and he'll get shifts with Marty once in a while, he might get shifts with Ryan Malone," Tocchet said. "There is still plenty of ice time for him to get with certain people, but I'm looking for a two-way game from him and that's the way we are built, it's not two guys and the Tampa Bay Lightning, it's the Tampa Bay Lightning and that's the way it's got to be if we are going to compete, it has to be."

Nuts and bolts

D Lukas Krajicek played only his third game of the season on Monday, taking the spot of Kurtis Foster in the lineup. Tampa Bay also scratched D Matt Smaby and Paul Ranger.

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