The Tampa Bay Lightning find themselves on the brink of elimination after a teeth-gnashing 4-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in Game 5, and their captain has appeared helpless to change things at times.
Steven Stamkos is easily one of the deadliest snipers in the NHL, yet in five contests, he has zero goals (and two assists) despite a healthy 17 shots on net. He also has six missed shots, so it’s not as if Stamkos is suddenly becoming afraid to pull the trigger.
The high-scoring forward sounded dejected after Game 5, but not necessarily dismissive of his efforts, as the Tampa Bay Times reports.
“Nothing is going right right now,” Stamkos said. “As long as I continue to compete, hopefully they change. It sucks to be going through something like this at this time of year when your team needs you. Hopefully I can come through.”
Some might say that this moment captures the frustration the 25-year-old has been feeling lately:
Why is scoring down? Why aren't best players scoring? Blatant interference uncalled. I don't care who wins ... https://t.co/o3IktAFQei
— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) April 25, 2015
The effort is there, but playoff hockey is a results-oriented business, so Stamkos might be facing some serious heat if he can’t start to turn things around with the Lightning’s season on the line in Game 6.