Kucherov continues to carry the Lightning on his shoulders with OT winner

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
March 24, 2017

Reaching the postseason was always going to be a Herculean task for the Lightning.

Fortunately Tampa Bay has one of its star players taking on the role of Atlas, trying to carry this team on his back – Nikita Kucherov.

The All-Star forward did it again on Friday, scoring the overtime winner to lift the Lightning to a 2-1 victory against the Detroit Red Wings in the last game for Tampa Bay at Joe Louis Arena. Kucherov’s goal with 1:32 left in the extra period pulled the Lightning to within one point of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

”Found me backdoor,” Kucherov told NHL.com. “It was nice to finish that one. Every game is huge for us right now. Just got to take one game and a time and see what’s going to happen.’’

With eight games remaining, the window to reach the postseason remains open, thanks in large part to Kucherov’s efforts.

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As Tampa Bay sits one point behind both Boston and the New York Islanders – those two teams meet Saturday in Brooklyn, ensuring the gap will widen to three points before Tampa Bay faces Chicago on Monday – with eight games to play, Kucherov has put his name in the MVP conversation.

With 38 goals on the season, Kucherov has moved in to sole possession of second place in the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy, four behind Sidney Crosby for the league lead. With 78 points, he has moved in to the top five in league scoring.

On a team depleted by injuries up front, Kucherov has been a consistent threat no matter who he plays with as he registered his fourth consecutive multi-point game. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Kucherov is the first Lightning player to record four consecutive multi-point games since Martin St. Louis posted three goals and five assists from Jan. 20-31, 2012.

”Every year, he just keeps elevating his game,’’ Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “He’s playing with a lot of confidence now, especially in the offensive zone.’’

Since Jan. 16, a span of 30 games, Kucherov leads all scorers with 38 points, 21 goals, 11 power play goals and is tied for first with 15 power play points. In his past 16 games, Kucherov has 17 goals and 29 points while registering two hat tricks.

”What I think what’s really changed for him and it actually didn’t look like it tonight, but he’s been shooting the puck,’’ Cooper said. “Probably a month and a half ago, he’d show up on the sheet with one or zero shots. When Kuch is getting into that three to six shot a night range, pucks go in for guys like him. That’s what he’s doing, he’s creating space for himself, he’s fighting through stuff and, as I said, your best players got to be your best players and he’s a big reason why we’re back in this race.’’

In the past two games, when Tampa Bay absolutely had to win, Kucherov scored four of the team’s eight goals and set up the third-period tying goal on Friday against Detroit, calling for the puck from Braydon Coburn before taking a shot from the high center point, allowing Ondrej Palat to find the rebound at 5:53 to get Tampa Bay even and put them in to position to get the first point and then win it in overtime.

”We had a tough little stretch there where we lost three in a row at home, and you sit here and say every game’s a must win, but let’s be honest, we don’t come out (of the past two games) with four points in this, we’re in trouble,’’ Cooper said. “To come in on the back-to-back and be down in the third and to gut one out, pretty proud of the guys.’’

Now the Lightning sit and wait for Monday to come, looking to keep the drive alive, with the efforts of Kucherov a big part of keeping it within reach.

”When you’re not just trying to catch one team, you’re catching multiple teams, that’s why it’s hard to do,’’ Cooper said. “Really, you’ve just got to sit here and say the only destiny you can control is your own.

“That was the big conversation going into the third period. We had the one-goal lead against Arizona the other night and let it slip away, now we’re down a goal, what are we going to do here? The guys just talked about what needed to be done to win a hockey game, and they found a way.’’

As the Lightning have done during a 14-5-3 in the past 22 games just to get in to the conversation.

”It’s so much on the line, it’s almost like you’re in the playoffs already,” defenseman Anton Stralman said. “It really is. You can see the fire in everybody and the hunger, everybody pulling the same way. It’s quite a beautiful thing.’’

Postgame notes: D Jason Garrison missed the game and is officially listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury after leaving Thursday’s game against Boston with an apparent injury to his right leg. … D Slater Koekkoek was called up from Syracuse as an emergency recall but was ineligible to play with the Lightning having six healthy defensemen as Luke Witkowski shifted back to defense. … Koekkoek was reassigned to Syracuse following the game. … C Greg McKegg returned to the lineup after being scratched the previous two games but played just 3:28. … Tampa Bay has won five consecutive road games and has points in 11 of the past 12 (8-1-3) while improving to 15-6-3 against Atlantic Division opponents. … The Lightning had four forwards log more than 22 minutes and five forward log less than 10 minutes of ice time. … D Victor Hedman and D Anton Stralman each logged 27 minutes of ice time.

My three stars:
1.Lighting C Brayden Point – Assist on winning goal, strong on PK, 3 blocked shots

2.Lightning RW Nikita Kucherov – Game-winning goal, assist

3.Red Wings C Henrik Zetterberg – Goal, 13-of-21 on faceoffs, 5 shot attempts

Jon Cooper postgame reaction

Nikita Kucherov postgame reaction

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