The Tampa Bay Lightning (15-13-3) play the flip side of back-to-back games against bottom-dwelling teams tonight, but the focus is less on the contest leading into the game and more on the fact Steven Stamkos is in Toronto where he grew up, and the pending free agent is lusted upon in speculation to join the Toronto Maple Leafs (10-13-5) as a free agent in the summer of 2016.
Suffice it to say, the sideshow in the epicenter of hockey media has taken precedence over the contest where a team with six days rest (the Maple Leafs, who last played December 8th) play against the squad that played last night (Tampa Bay).
| | Follow @RawCharge
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48118977/GettyImages-164213489.0.jpg)
12.15.2015 Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs game coverage
-
December 16, 2015
Echo chambers and conclusions without evidence
One of hockey's biggest media personalities concludes Stamkos is history; one of hockey's longest-tenured bloggers wants proof beyond idled speculation.
-
December 16, 2015
Cooper leaned on top defense, benched Carle
Last night was probably one of Matt Carle's worst nights in a Lightning uniform as he saw less than 8 minutes of ice time and was on the ice for two goals-against.
-
December 15, 2015
Game Chat: Bolts at Leafs
Remember: The circus isn't the act on the ice it's everything off it.
-
December 15, 2015
Lightning at Leafs preview
The center of the hockey media resides in Toronto... And the lust for the hometown boy has dominated th news while the Leafs have been off the past few days.