from Joe Smith of Lightning Strikes,

When Lightning captain Steven Stamkos takes the ice tonight for his first exhibition action, he'll do so looking - and feeling - more like his old self.

Stamkos said his surgically-repaired right leg feels much better than he did late last season, when he returned after missing 45 games following surgery to repair a broken tibia. While tonight's game against the Stars will provide a better barometer, he's already seen a big difference in practice and scrimmages.

"I think it's that first couple steps, that explosiveness that is a big part of my game," Stamkos said. "I definitely feel a lot more comfortable in that regards. We'll have to wait and see until the game, but in practices and scrimmages the skating is an asset of mine and I thought I was kind of a step back last year even when I did some back. I'm feeling good, feeling confident and mentally I'm in a much better state as well. You don't realize how much that has an affect on your game until you go through an injury like that and you find yourself protecting that spot a lot of instead of thinking maybe the next play, which I usually do. I'm in a better state that way as well."

The coaches have noticed it,, too.

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