Lightning win in OT, spoil Stamkos' return with Predators

TAMPA -- Steven Stamkos had two assists for the Nashville Predators in his return to Tampa, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on Monday.

Nick Paul scored at 3:22 to win it, scoring from the low slot off a backdoor feed from Jake Guentzel.

"I saw Guentzel get [to the loose puck] first and I went to the net," Paul said. "[The ice] opened up and realized we were going to have a 2-on-1 and he made a great pass. I had an empty net, I just had to make sure I didn’t miss it."

Stamkos, the No. 1 pick by Tampa Bay in the 2008 NHL Draft, spent 16 seasons with the Lightning before signing a four-year, $32 million contract ($8 million average annual value) with the Predators when free agency began July 1. He is the Tampa Bay all-time leader in points (1,137), goals (555), games (1,082), power-play goals (214), game-winning goals (85) and overtime goals (13).

Stamkos won the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021.

"You see where it all began as an 18-year-old kid right here," Stamkos said. "I grew up from a boy to a man, a Stanley Cup champion, a husband, a father...most of my life has been here. It's definitely emotional, but at the same time it's a fun place for me to play hockey. You almost feel at ease being here. So, I thought that was cool as well."

Said Lightning coach Jon Cooper: "I just feel very fortunate that I was here for a decade of those years, and I got to see it live in real time and experience the ups and downs. But it does bring back fun memories. It was weird to see him standing on the blue line [during the national anthem] and not in our jersey ... you know ... that opening face-off, and then all of sudden it turns into a hockey game and you don't think about it anymore."

Brayden Point had a goal and an assist, Mitchell Chaffee scored, and Guentzel had two assists for the Lightning (6-3-0), who have won three of their past four. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 35 saves.

Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist scored for the Predators (3-5-1), who had won three in a row. Juuse Saros made 24 saves.

Point gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead at 9:49 of the first period when he made a move around defenseman Roman Josi and beat Saros with the backhand.

Chaffee extended it to 2-0 at 19:24, finishing on a partial breakaway with the forehand to the glove side.

"We have to be more consistent over 60 minutes," Lightning captain Victor Hedman said. "We’re playing some really tough teams (on an upcoming road trip). We can’t take a period off here and there; we have to be on it for 60 minutes. We have to go out there and execute our game plan."

Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov scored at 2:27 of the second period, but the goal was overturned following a coach's challenge when video review showed the play was offside.

O'Reilly scored on the power play to make it 2-1 at 10:19 of the second period when he stuffed the puck past Vasilevskiy from close range.

Nyquist tied it 2-2 at 18:40 on a shot from the slot that beat Vasilevskiy stick side.

"Obviously it was a special night and [Stamkos] played a great game," O'Reilly said. "They outplayed us tonight, they had the puck most of the time. We did a good job of staying with it and grinding our way back in to get a point. That's what you have to do to give ourselves a chance to win. When we're defending that it's just exhausting. I know for myself it was exhausting chasing the puck and it's hard to win like that."

Stamkos was honored with a video tribute in the first period followed by a long standing ovation from the crowd as he took a short lap around the ice.

"For me, obviously a pretty weird night, pretty emotional," Stamkos said. "But once the tribute happened you kind of settle into the game and then you focus on what you need to do to help your team win. Just came up a little short tonight."

NOTES: Kucherov’s season-opening eight-game point streak of 14 points (eight goals, six assists) ended. Point has six points (four goals, two assists) in his past six games. ... Guentzel recorded his 500th NHL point (229 goals, 271 assists) in his 529th game.