Steven Stamkos scores 600th career goal as Nashville Predators get back into playoff picture after recent loss

Steven Stamkos is making history while helping the Nashville Predators salvage their season. The veteran forward scored his 600th career goal on New Year's Eve in a 4-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, becoming just the third active player to reach that milestone.

Only Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby have also hit 600 goals among current NHL players. Stamkos joins an elite group that includes Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, and Steve Yzerman as the 22nd player in league history to accomplish the feat.

Steve Stamkos becomes 22nd player in NHL history to have 600 career goals

The milestone came during one of Stamkos' best stretches with Nashville. He scored 10 goals in 10 games, helping the Predators post a 7-3-0 record during that run to climb back into the Western Conference playoff race.

That stretch ended Tuesday with a 6-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, where Stamkos was held off the scoresheet. The 35-year-old's recent production is remarkable considering how his season started. Stamkos had just one goal and one assist through his first 14 games, struggling to find chemistry in Nashville's system.

He now has 28 points with 18 goals and 10 assists in 42 games. Stamkos explained that getting offensive touches was crucial to finding his rhythm. "As an offensive guy, you gotta get some touches and some feels in the games, and we weren't really getting that much in the first 15 games of the year," he said.

Stamkos continued, "We weren't scoring, we weren't winning, and it was not fun coming to the rink." The turnaround came from line changes and improved power play execution that created confidence and momentum. "We shuffled some lines up around too, and I think that sparked a few things," Stamkos noted.

Predators coach Andrew Brunette praised Stamkos for his work ethic and leadership during the difficult early stretch. "For our young guys to watch how he works every practice, he's one of the hardest workers on our team," Brunette said.

The coach noted that Stamkos had to adjust his game after leaving Tampa Bay, where he spent 16 seasons and won two Stanley Cups. "He understands the way he has to play to get inside ice, and you look at his shot maps and his heat maps, and they've changed dramatically," Brunette explained.

Nashville sits at 19-19-4 and is back in the playoff conversation after looking like they might miss the postseason entirely. If Stamkos continues producing at his recent pace, the Predators have a legitimate chance to extend their season into the spring.

Also read: Connor McDavid’s hat trick lifts Edmonton Oilers over Nashville Predators at Rogers Place