Slogging through a rookie season that was filled with unreal expectations and much too real drama in the locker room, Steven Stamkos provided a flash of his goal scoring abilities on a February night in 2009 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
On one side of the ice was Stamkos, the 2008 first overall pick in the NHL. On the other was Patrick Kane, the 2007 first overall pick. The Lightning were in shambles, on their way to another lottery pick in the draft with a lineup filled with aging talent and second-tier prospects. The Blackhawks were on their way up, fighting for the Central Division title and icing a core of young talent led by Kane and Jonathan Toews.