Nashville Predators star Steven Stamkos just reminded everyone again on Thursday why he is a two-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner.
Stamkos scored not one, not two, not three, but four goals in the Preds' 7-2 beatdown of the St. Louis Blues at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville to the elation of the over 17,000 fans in the building.
At 35 years old, Stamkos' best days are now behind him, and he's even being linked to teams in NHL trade rumors, but there will be nights like the one he just had against the Blues when he would be feeling unstoppable. Stamkos also showed clear awareness of his fading powers when he spoke about his performance in the win against the Blues.
“At this stage of my career, you just fall back on the preparation that you do,” Stamkos shared after the game (via Robby Stanley of 102.5 The Game).
“Yeah, would it be nice to feel like you’re 25 every night again? Of course. But you have to put in a little different type of work, and you’ve got to be the same person whether you’re scoring or you’re not scoring. That’s what I try to be. It’s nice when you get rewarded for those efforts that you put in behind the scenes.”
Stamkos scored twice in the first period to put the Predators ahead early. He then scored two of Nashville's four goals in the second period, as the Preds finished the frame with a big lead, 6-2.
With the win, Nashville improved to 12-14-4 and will look to extend its winning streak to three games when the Predators face the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Saturday.
