St. Louis still among the elite

While Steven Stamkos has deservedly received plenty of attention for his recent play, he will be the first to tell you linemate Marty St. Louis has been a big part of pushing Stamkos to such lofty heights.

It has been that way, really, since St. Louis landed in Tampa Bay as a free agent in 2000-01 after being cast away by Calgary. He has been the heart and soul of the franchise for a decade. This year, St. Louis is putting together another Hart-worthy season.

When St. Louis won the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2003-04, he was the driving force behind a championship team. Twice he won player of the month awards, in succession, while going on to lead the league with 94 points.

It was, to say the least, an incredible accomplishment for a player who went undrafted out of the University of Vermont.

Yet, as unbelievable of a season as St. Louis had in 2003-04, it might not be as good of a season as he has enjoyed to this point this season. With 81 points in 67 games, he is on pace statistically for his second-best season with 99 points, three behind his career best set in 2006-07.

But the success of this season for St. Louis is not based solely on his point total, more like the total package. He has been the leader on the ice with his win-at-all-costs mentality, he has been the leader in the dressing room with his willingness to speak up when others don't appear to be pulling their weight.

His consistency level has been as good as it's ever been. To this point in the season, with 15 games left as St. Louis tries to will the Lightning back into a playoff position, only once has St. Louis gone more than two consecutive games without registering a point. That's better then his MVP season in 2004 and better than his 102-point campaign in 2006-07.

While a majority of the MVP attention this season is going to be garnered by Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller, St. Louis belongs in that conversation.

St. Louis isn't likely to be a finalist, let alone a favorite to win the MVP, but he has shown at the age of 34 that he remains an elite player in a league surrounded by young stars. That includes his linemate, who has received a bulk of the attention this season.

Long hill to climb

While Tampa Bay enters today's game four points out of a playoff spot and in desperate need of a winning streak to get back into the race, the task will not be easy. If the Lightning find a way to move into the top eight, they will definitely have earned it.

On this four-game homestand, Tampa Bay will host Pittsburgh (85 points), Phoenix (87), Buffalo (82) and Washington (99), with all but Phoenix leading their divisions. There are also games left on the schedule at Pittsburgh, at Buffalo and at Boston.