Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Streak at six games, 10 points
Rotowire
Kucherov picked up an assist Thursday in a 4-1 win over Winnipeg.
He extended his point streak to six games (three goals, seven assists), and he has 24 points, including 11 goals, and 59 shots in 15 games so far. Kucherov has been the model of consistency this season, putting up points in 14 of 15 contests. He sits in the top 10 for both goals and assists, and he's on pace for 131 points, including 60 goals.
Kucherov scored a goal Thursday in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Flyers.
He opened the scoring in the last minute of the first period with a wraparound goal. It was the Bolts' only goal. Kucherov has nine points (three goals, six assists) during a five-game point streak, but we're sure he'd give up that streak to end the Bolts' four-game losing streak.
... See More... See Less
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Moves into NHL scoring lead
Rotowire
Kucherov had two assists in a 3-2 loss to the Blues on Tuesday.
He's on a four-game, eight-point streak that includes six assists. Kucherov has moved into the NHL scoring lead with 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists), and he has 50 shots and 10 hits. Seven of his points (one goal, six assists) have come on the power play.
... See More... See Less
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Goal, assist Sunday
Rotowire
Kucherov notched a goal and an assist in Sunday's 7-4 defeat to Winnipeg.
Kucherov registered the primary assist on Brayden Point's power-play marker in the opening frame before scoring an unassisted goal in the third period. Kucherov added four shots, three hits and a minus-1 rating in 22:33 of ice time. The star winger has compiled six points during his current three-game point streak, and he's only been held off the scoresheet once through 12 games this season. The Russian forward leads the Lightning in points with 10 goals and 10 assists.
Kucherov notched a power-play assist, eight shots on goal and a minus-3 rating in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Wild.
Kucherov has earned four points over his last two contests after being held off the scoresheet Monday against Nashville. The 31-year-old winger's eight shots were a season high, though he's had four or more shots in six of 11 games. He's up to nine goals, nine assists, 43 shots, a plus-6 rating, six hits and seven blocked shots while seeing reliable time on the first line and top power-play unit.
... See More... See Less
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Records three points Wednesday
Rotowire
Kucherov scored a goal and delivered two assists in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Avalanche.
Kucherov saw his eight-game point streak snapped in the 3-2 win over Nashville on Monday, but the star winger bounced back admirably and notched his fifth multi-point effort of the campaign Wednesday. Reliable both as a scorer and playmaker, the 31-year-old star forward is amid an outstanding start to the campaign with nine goals and eight assists across 10 contests. He's tied for second in goals and tied for fifth in points league-wide.
Kucherov had an assist in a 3-0 win over Washington on Saturday.
Kucherov has eight goals and six helpers during his eight-game point streak to begin the 2024-25 campaign. Unsurprisingly, he ranks among the top scorers in the NHL. Kucherov could be in the running for the Hart Trophy again after finishing as the runner-up last season, but it's very early into the year. Still, his performance has been outstanding, and it's unlikely he will slow down much as the season progresses.
... See More... See Less
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Top sniper in NHL
Rotowire
Kucherov scored a goal Thursday in a 4-2 loss to the Wild.
Kucherov remains perfect on the season -- he's put up at least one point in each of Tampa Bay's seven games, and he's wired 30 shots on net. His eight goals (13 points) lead the NHL. Kucherov is already among the best Russian players to don an NHL uniform, and at 31, his game is still on the rise.
... See More... See Less
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Season scoring streak at six games
Rotowire
Kucherov had an assist in Tuesday's 8-5 win over the Devils.
It extended his season-opening point streak to six games (seven goals, four assists). Kucherov is already in MVP form with seven goals and five assists in six games played. Expect his pace to slow some and especially his goal rate. Kucherov already has 29 shots, which puts him within reach of a 400-shot season, but his shooting percentage is a whopping 24.1. That's well above his career mark of 14.6. Still, this could be Kucherov's Hart season.
... See More... See Less
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Point streak at five games
Rotowire
Kucherov notched an assist, four shots on goal and two hits in Monday's 5-2 loss to the Maple Leafs.
Kucherov's four-game, seven-goal streak came to a close Monday, but he's still yet to be held off the scoresheet over five contests. The winger has 10 points, 26 shots on net, five hits and a plus-6 rating. With just three of his points coming on the power play, he could still grow his offense a little more than we've seen so far.
Kucherov extended his season-opening goal streak to four games with a goal in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Senators.
Kucherov became the first player in Lightning history with at least seven goals through their first four appearances of a season. That's heady territory considering the likes of Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos have donned the Bolts' uniform. Kucherov has nine points this season, and his seven goals lead the NHL.
Kucherov scored two goals in a 4-3 win over Vegas on Thursday.
The second goal came with less than a minute left and stood as the winner. Kucherov fired the puck from close to the goal line on the left wing, and it ricocheted past Adin Hill. It was the kind of lucky goals that snipers get. Kucherov is riding a three-game, six-goal streak to start the season, and he's totaled seven points. He has 16 shots in those three appearances, and two of his goals were game-winners.
Kucherov scored a goal on five shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Canucks.
Kucherov already has four goals and an assist through two games, and he's added 11 shots on net. The 31-year-old winger has avoided the slow start that's plagued some of the league's other superstars, though that advantage has been mitigated by a limited schedule so far after the Lightning's original home opener was postponed by Hurricane Milton. Kucherov produced a career year in 2023-24 with 44 goals and 100 assists over 81 regular-season appearances. It was also the first time he topped 300 shots on goal (306) and the second time he exceeded 50 power-play points (53). That raises some risk of regression, but Kucherov remains a clear top-five player in the NHL.
... See More... See Less
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Records hat trick Friday
Rotowire
Kucherov notched a hat trick, including a power-play goal, and added a power-play assist in Friday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes.
Kucherov couldn't have hoped for a better start to the season. He was directly involved in the Lightning's four goals while recording a natural hat trick in the third period across a nine-minute span that included two empty-netters. Kucherov had a career-best season in 2023-24 with 44 goals and 144 points across 81 regular-season appearances, and he's looking to take those numbers a step further in 2024-25.
... See More... See Less
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Pots first goal of preseason
Rotowire
Kucherov scored the Lightning's only goal Wednesday in a 2-1 preseason OT loss to the Panthers.
With Tampa Bay down 1-0 late in the third period, Brayden Point won a faceoff in the Florida zone, and Kucherov blasted the feed past Spencer Knight on a one-timer. It was Kucherov's first goal this preseason, but after posting career highs with 44 goals and 144 points in 2023-24, the 31-year-old appears ready to come out flying out of the gates when the puck drops on the upcoming campaign.
... See More... See Less
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Three helpers in Saturday's win
Rotowire
Kucherov recorded three assists, one on the power play, in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Panthers in Game 4.
Two of the helpers came in the third period as the Lightning put the game away. Kucherov is still looking for his first goal of the postseason, but he's found the scoresheet in all four contests so far while collecting six assists. He may need to come up big again in Game 5 on Monday if Tampa Bay is going to avoid elimination again.
... See More... See Less
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Makes history in finale
Rotowire
Kucherov scored an even-strength goal and added a power-play assist in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Maple leafs.
His second-period helper on a Brayden Point tally put Kucherov in the history books as the fifth player in NHL history to accumulate 100 assists in a season -- rarified air that was previously only reached by Wayne Gretzky (a mind-boggling 11 times), Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr (once each) before both Kucherov and Connor McDavid did it in 2023-24. Kucherov claimed his second scoring title with a career-high 144 points through 81 games -- his 44 goals were also a personal best. Kucherov will lead the Lightning into the playoffs beginning Sunday against the Panthers.
... See More... See Less
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Approaching historic assist mark
Rotowire
Kucherov had two assists in a 3-2 shootout loss to Ottawa on Thursday.
Kucherov makes seamless passes look effortless. Kucherov now has 141 points, including 98 assists, to lead the NHL in scoring. He has put up five straight multi-point games (one goal, 13 assists). Kucherov and the Bolts have three games left, and the winger has a very real chance to hit the century mark in assists by season's end. Wayne Gretzky (11 times), Mario Lemieux (1988-89) and Bobby Orr (1970-71) are the only NHLers to have recorded triple-digit assists in a season.
... See More... See Less
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Fourth straight three-point game
Rotowire
Kucherov notched three assists - one on the power play - in Tuesday's 5-2 victory over the Blue Jackets.
Kucherov gathered three primary assists in the contest, one on the opening score, one on the power play and finally one on the empty-netter to put the game to rest. Not only does Kucherov have four straight three-point games, but he is riding a seven-game point streak in which he has two goals and 13 assists. He currently holds the lead in the scoring race with 139 points, two points ahead of Nathan MacKinnon.
... See More... See Less
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Three helpers in Pittsburgh
Rotowire
Kucherov picked up three assists, two on the power play, in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Penguins.
The 30-year-old winger has his sights set on the Art Ross Trophy. Kucherov has reeled off three straight three-point performances and has failed to get onto the scoresheet only once in the last 20 games, erupting for seven goals and 42 points over that stretch. He leads the NHL scoring race with 136 points (43 goals, 93 assists), putting him five points up on Nathan MacKinnon and six points clear of Connor McDavid.
