Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Gets game winner in overtime
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Kucherov delivered a goal and assist, both on the power play, in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over Minnesota.
His goal stood as the winner. Kucherov tied Martin St. Louis for the third-most OT goals in franchise history with 10, behind Steven Stamkos (13) and Brayden Point (12). With a potential trade in the future, he may not move up that list.
Kucherov put up two assists Tuesday in a 4-2 win over Detroit.
He set up Brayden Point on both goals; it was Point's first multi-goal game this season. Kucherov is on a four-game, seven-assist streak (10 shots), but he is stuck at four goals in 14 games after averaging 42 over the last three seasons. Kuch is shooting as much as he did last season, but his puck luck has been miserable. Last regular season, his shooting percentage was 19.0, but it's just 10.5 this year. Kucherov will go on a run soon, but it remains to be seen if that's in Tampa Bay or elsewhere.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Three points in another day in office
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Kucherov had three assists Saturday in a 5-4 shootout loss to Nashville.
It was another day in the office for the superstar despite the furor around his trade request. Late Friday, Bolts general manager Julien Brisbois made it clear "We unequivocally have no intention of trading Nikita." Kucherov is on a three-game, five-assist streak that includes seven shots and four PIM. The reigning Hart trophy winner is a fantasy cornerstone, so fingers crossed this doesn't get to the point of sitting out. So far, so good.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Expected to play despite trade request
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Kucherov is expected to continue playing for the Lightning while the team works on accommodating his trade request, according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN on Friday.
Fantasy managers can rest easy for now, knowing Kucherov will stay in the lineup after his trade request went public Friday. However, as seen earlier this week with Dylan Larkin (suspension), the player can choose to stop playing at any time if they're not satisfied with the process. Kucherov is in the final year of his deal and will submit a 10-team list of approved destinations to help the Lightning reach a deal. Expect Kucherov to remain in a prominent role until a trade is imminent.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Sets Tampa's franchise points record
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Kucherov logged a power-play assist, three shots on goal and two PIM in Saturday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Mammoth.
With the helper, Kucherov is now the all-time points leader for the Lightning with 1,138 and counting. He had tied Steven Stamkos for the record Tuesday with a three-point effort. At 33 years old, Kucherov has plenty of time to add to his totals, though he is slated for unrestricted free agency in the summer if he doesn't reach an extension with the Lightning. He's off to a great start this year with four goals, 10 helpers, 31 shots on net and a plus-2 rating across 11 outings.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Ties franchise record
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Kucherov scored a goal on two shots, added two assists (one on the power play) and went plus-3 in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Golden Knights.
With the three-point effort, Kucherov is up to 1,137 points in his career, all with the Lightning, to tie Steven Stamkos for the franchise record. This was Kucherov's fifth multi-point effort in nine outings this season. He's up to four goals, nine assists, 26 shots on net and a plus-4 rating. The record watch will be on in full force when the Lightning visit the Avalanche on Friday.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Finds twine for first time since opener
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Kucherov scored twice, including once on the power play, in Saturday's 4-2 win over Vancouver. He fired seven shots.
Kucherov keyed a Bolts' comeback after the Orcas went up 2-0 by the early second. The goals were his first since opening night (Oct. 1) when he tapped the keg a single time against the Rangers, and they snapped a minor two-game point drought. Kucherov has really ratcheted up his shot totals in the last two games. He has 15 in that span (nine in his first six this season). Overall, Kucherov has three goals, seven assists, three power-play points (one PPG) and 24 shots in eight contests this season. A lot of more points are about to come with the uptick in shots. Kucherov is the reigning Hart Trophy winner and a Ted Lindsay Award finalist.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Two apples to extend season streak
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Kucherov posted two assists Saturday in a 5-3 win over the Islanders.
He extended his season-long point streak to eight points (one goal, seven assists) in five games. Kucherov oddly has just seven shots in that span -- he has averaged 268 over the last four regular seasons. The shots will come, and so will the goals.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Season-long point streak
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Kucherov picked up two assists Thursday in a 3-2 win over Minnesota.
Kucherov is on a season-long point streak (one goal, five assists; four games). He's in a multi-player tie for 12th in the NHL in points. Kucherov has averaged 42 goals over the last three seasons and is coming off a Hart-winning season where he buried 44 goals and added 86 assists. Goals will come.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Two helpers against Philly
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Kucherov notched two assists in Monday's 4-1 win over the Flyers.
The superstar winger had a hand in Brayden Point's first-period tally to open the scoring, as well as Brandon Hagel's empty-netter late in the third. It was Kucherov's first multi-point performance on the young season, and through three games he's collected a goal and four points as he looks to reach triple digits for a fifth straight campaign.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Closing in on franchise record
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Kucherov scored a goal in a 5-1 loss to the Rangers on Thursday.
Kucherov scored on a backhanded pass that went in off Noah Laba in the second frame. It made the score 3-1. Kuch is coming off a Hart trophy season with 44 goals and 86 assists in 2025-26, and he has averaged 127 points, including 39 goals, in each of his last four seasons. He is closing in on Steven Stamkos' team record of 1,137 points (1,082 games). Kucherov now has 1,125 (402 goals, 723 assists; 880 games). He could eclipse that record in the next couple weeks.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Not concerned about contract situation
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Kucherov said Wednesday that he's focused on helping the team win this year and playing well on the ice, Lightning reporter Gabby Shirley reports.
Kucherov is entering the final season of an eight-year, $76 million contract he signed with the Lightning in July of 2018. However, he appears unfazed by the possibility of becoming an unrestricted free agent. The 33-year-old has topped 100 points in four consecutive seasons, and if he doesn't reach a long-term agreement with Tampa Bay, he should command plenty of interest from around the league.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Supplies two assists in win
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Kucherov notched two assists, three shots on goal and two PIM in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Canadiens in Game 4.
Kucherov has opened the playoffs on a four-game point streak, accumulating a goal and five helpers. Four of his assists this postseason have come on the power play. Kucherov set up both of Brandon Hagel's third-period tallies in this contest to help the Lightning pull off a comeback win. Expect Kucherov to continue shining as a playmaker as the Lightning keep battling in this tough first-round matchup.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: First playoff goal in three years
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Kucherov scored a goal Tuesday in a 3-2 overtime win over the Canadiens in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round.
It was Kucherov's first playoff goal in more than three years. Yes, you read that right. His last playoff goal came in Game 1 against Toronto on April 18, 2023. Kucherov has three points, including two assists, four PIM and 10 shots in two games this postseason. He will need to continue to shine for Tampa Bay for the team to advance to the second round.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Two power-play helpers in Game 1
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Kucherov put up two power-play assists in a 4-3 overtime loss to Montreal in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Sunday.
With the points, Kucherov has 173 career postseason points, and he moved past greats Mario Lemiux and Peter Forsberg into sole possession of 19th all-time. Sunday's game was a touch sloppy from a penalty perspective, so it was challenging to get flow 5-on-5. Kucherov is out to prove that his postseason disappearances the last three seasons (one goal in 16 games, but 16 assists) are a thing of the past. Tampa Bay was ousted in Round 1 in each of the last three seasons.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Equals career goal mark in OT win
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Kucherov scored a goal and added an assist in a 4-3 overtime win over the Red Wings on Monday.
Kucherov finished a give-and-go on a 2-on-1 in overtime to seal the victory. It was his 44th goal of the season, which equals his career high (2023-24). The assist moved him temporarily into a tie with Connor McDavid, who is playing the late game, for the NHL lead. Kucherov has 130 points this season, three behind McDavid for the NHL lead. It remains to be seen if the Bolts will rest their Hart candidate in their last regular-season game Wednesday against the Rangers.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Strikes on power play in loss
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Kucherov scored a power-play goal on three shots in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Sabres.
Kucherov has three goals and five points over three games in April. The 32-year-old superstar lost some momentum after missing two games due to an illness in late March, but he still has a share of the NHL lead in points with 126 (43 goals, 83 assists) over 71 outings through Monday's action. Kucherov has added 221 shots on net, 37 power-play points, 35 hits, 48 PIM and a plus-45 rating.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Nineteen points in last nine games
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Kucherov scored a goal Saturday in a 3-1 win over Boston.
Kucherov is now one point behind Connor McDavid, who has 126, for the NHL scoring lead, and the two men are tied for the lead in assists with 83. McDavid plays the late game Saturday. Kucherov has points in eight of his last nine games (eight goals, 11 assists; 37 shots).
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Assault on record books continues
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Kucherov scored a goal and added two assists in a 6-3 win over the Penguins on Thursday.
It was Kucherov's 19th game with at least three points this season and tied the great Peter Stastny (1982-83) for the seventh-most in a single season by a player born outside North America. Kucherov sits two points behind Connor McDavid (126) for the NHL scoring lead. Kucherov's 1.80 points per game played remains the best of the best. He has a chance to win the Art Ross trophy again. He earned it in 2024-25 (121 points).
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Expected to play Tuesday
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Kucherov (illness) is set to be in the lineup versus the Canadiens on Tuesday, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Kucherov missed two games while under the weather. The 32-year-old superstar should be good for his usual top-six role and power-play time. He racked up six goals and nine assists over the six games prior to his absence.
