Were it not for his minus-1 and his single shot on goal, Steven Stamkos's Stanley Cup Playoff debut in Game 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins would have nearly been invisible statistically. Which is not something you expect from a player who posted 45 goals and 46 assists in the regular season, and who was 14th in the league in shots on goal.
This was Stamkos in Game 1:
In total, he took four shots at Marc-Andre Fleury, with one getting through.
The Penguins had him in lockdown, with Kris Letang and Brooks Orpik getting the majority of the work against the Stamkos line; and, of course, with Orpik introducing the Lightning star to the playoffs with a monstrous check (watch it here).
Stamkos spoke with the St. Pete Times about that hit:
"I've been hit like that before," he said. "You have to take hits to make a play, and we actually got the puck and got a shot off. But I knew it was coming. I've played against him for three years now. He's one of the hardest-hitting guys in the league. It's a clean hit, and it was a good way to start the game for them, I guess."
And not so much for Stamkos, who was a non-factor in Game 1 … which obviously needs to change in Friday night's Game 2 if the Lightning want to come out of Pittsburgh with a split. From the Times:
"Your compete level has to rise," Stamkos said, "and that's something that for me, personally, is going to be a lot stronger in Game 2. I can tell you that for sure, go to the front of the net and fight for space. There's so little time, with everyone knowing the magnitude of the game, you have to compete even harder."
It's an education for a young player, and one of the reasons why the Lightning were hard to figure out heading into this series. For all the battle-tested savvy of Vinny Lecavalier and Marty "Double Root Canal OMG" St. Louis, Stamkos and others on the roster are playoff newbies.
Some players jump right in, as Sidney Crosby did with three goals in his first three playoff games in 2007. Others have to learn, as Stamkos did in Game 1, what it takes. His performance Friday night will be fascinating to watch, and a barometer for the series.
Speaking of Sid: The Bolts blog Don't Trade Vinny has a cynical (and humorous) take on Crosby watching Game 1 with a headset on. Coach Crosby ... is there anything he can't do?