Stamkos hits No. 40

Steven Stamkos reached 40 goals on Saturday night, scoring in Nashville’s 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild at Bridgestone Arena. (nhl.com) The goal came with 4:59 left in the first period on a wraparound that slipped just inside the left post. Stamkos also set up Matthew Wood’s second-period goal, and Justus Annunen finished with 21 saves. (espn.com) The win moved Nashville to 38-32-10 and kept the club in the Western Conference wild-card chase. After Saturday’s games, the Predators sat three points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild-card spot with two games left, while Los Angeles had three remaining. (espn.com) For Stamkos, the number carries career weight as much as playoff urgency. Saturday marked the eighth 40-goal season of his National Hockey League career, a total that stretches from his Tampa Bay peak into his second season with Nashville. (espn.com) Stamkos signed with the Predators on July 1, 2024, agreeing to a four-year, $32 million contract after 16 seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He entered Saturday with 621 career goals and 39 this season, then added No. 40 in game No. 80. (nhl.com) His scoring pace this season has included a four-goal game against the St. Louis Blues on December 11 and a hat trick against the Ottawa Senators on January 22. Those bursts helped push him back to the 40-goal mark after he scored 27 goals in his first season with Nashville in 2024-25. (espn.com) Minnesota, meanwhile, had already secured a playoff berth and Saturday’s loss locked the Wild into the Central Division’s No. 3 seed. The Wild will open the postseason against the Dallas Stars. (espn.com) Nashville hosts the San Jose Sharks on Monday night, with Stamkos now carrying a 40-goal season into the final week of the regular season. (espn.com)