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Captain Steven Stamkos says the Tampa Bay Lightning are too experienced to worry about back-to-back defeats and are concentrating on the process which has seen them win the Stanley Cup in two consecutive seasons.
The Lightning, 7/1 to three-peat, were beaten 4-1 by the Calgary Flames on Thursday which was the first time they had suffered two straight defeats this season.
Tampa Bay have made a habit of bouncing back after losses, particularly when it matters most in the post-season play-offs, where they are 14-0 following a defeat.
Stamkos leads the Lightning for points (63) and goals (27) in what is his 14th season with the franchise.
A first-overall pick of Tampa Bay in 2008, Stamkos has amassed 929 points (466 goals, 463 assists) in 897 regular season games. In the play-offs, he has 72 points (32 goals, 40 assists) in 94 appearances.
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The Lightning (37-14-6) have fallen five points behind the Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division, but the experienced Stamkos insists short-term results are less important than their longer-term goal of becoming the first team to three-peat since the New York Islanders won four in a row in the early 80s.
Tampa Bay (36-17-3) finished third in the re-aligned Central Division last season, ahead of lifting the Championship in the play-offs.
Stamkos said to the media: "It's 50-whatever (games) into the season and this is the first time we've lost back-to-back games. That's pretty good.
"Teams go through tough stretches all the time. We're going through a little bit of a bump right now. We'll correct it, but it's process over outcome at this point."
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