Tampa Bay Lightning F Nikita Kucherov named NHL’s 3rd Star of December
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov has been lighting up the ice this last month, and it definitely hasn’t gone unnoticed by the rest of the NHL.
The Tampa Bay Lightning has been on fire this season. Expectations were definitely high going into the Lightning’s 25th Anniversary Season, but the team has gone above and beyond when it comes to showing the rest of the NHL what a little team from the South can do.
The success of the Lightning comes in no small part to one particular player…Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov has been the Lightning’s offensive driving force this season. His success has pushed his teammates that much harder to step up and help the Bolts reach a new level.
Everyone here in the Bolts Nation knows how amazing Nikita Kucherov is and has been for quite some time. One thing which has changed this season is now the rest of the National Hockey League knows what he can do as well. Kucherov has quickly become one of the most dangerous players in the league.
This is why it should come as no surprise the 24-year-old Russian forward has been named the 3rd Star of December by the NHL. Joining Kucherov in the rankings in December is Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask as the 1st Star and New York Islanders winger Josh Bailey as the 2nd Star of the Month.
There is no denying Nikita Kucherov had a heck of a month of December. He played in a total of 13 games with the Lightning in this stretch, which led to the offensive powerhouse bringing home eight goals and 12 assists for a total of 20 points.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Two of those aforementioned points came right before the start of the New Year. Kucherov picked up both a goal and an assist on Sunday, December 31 in the Lightning’s 5-0 shutout victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Nikita Kucherov has quite a few more achievements under his belt so far this season. Kucherov was the first player in the NHL to reach the 50 point mark this season; an achievement he reached on December 21 when he picked up two assists in the Lightning’s 4-3 shootout win over the Ottawa Senators.
Kucherov also finds himself at or near the top of the leaderboard in a number of categories right now. He currently leads the NHL in Points with 56. Kucherov has a six-point lead over his nearest competition, which is the NHL’s 2nd Star of the Month, Josh Bailey.
Kuch is currently in 2nd place in the NHL in goals with 25. He is just one goal behind Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin for the 1st place spot. It would not be unreasonable to expect a battle for the top spot to ensue between these two moving forward.
Since being paired up with Lightning captain Steven Stamkos and forward Vladislav Namestnikov on the top line, Kucherov has really had an opportunity to shine. This could have a lot to do with the chemistry these three have built this season and how easily the trio can make a play come together.
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The scariest part of this whole thing is the simple fact Nikita Kucherov has already achieved so much this season and the Lightning has yet to reach the halfway point. It is almost scary to think what heights Kucherov could potentially reach before the end of the season. Needless to say, we’re glad he’s on our side.