Stanley Cup Playoffs Head-To-Head: Nikita Kucherov and Alex Ovechkin collide in ECF
Two of the most talented Russian players in the NHL are about to go head-to-head as the Tampa Bay Lightning takes on the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference Final.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals are about to embark on the next stage of their postseason journey as they kick off the Eastern Conference Final tonight from the Amalie Arena right here in the Sunshine State. This is not the first time these two teams have met in the playoffs, but it may be one of the most exciting.
Undoubtedly, the Lightning has some of the most talented players in the National Hockey League right now. Players like Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Yanni Gourde, and so many others have spent the season tearing it up on the ice, but now things are about to escalate to a whole new level.
When the Capitals make their way into the arena tonight, two of the most talented Russian players in the league right now will go head-to-head in the center of the ice. Of course, we are talking about Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov and Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin.
Both of these players have impressive records this season, leaving their mark on an unexpected NHL season. Each player has their own reasons for wanting to make their way to the top of the league, but when all is said and done the goal is the same…to raise the Stanley Cup high above their heads.
If there is anything we can guarantee fans heading into this series it’s that both teams will be looking to leave everything out on the ice in the hopes of making their way to the final round. Both Kucherov and Ovechkin can be expected to be driving forces for their respective team’s offense.
While fans of both teams anxiously await puck drop later tonight, let’s take a closer look at these two scoring dynamos and how they match up heading into this crucial series. Let’s get things started with a look at Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov.
#86 Nikita Kucherov
Kucherov, who was born in Maykop, Russia, has been a dominating force for the Lightning and the National Hockey League as a whole this season. The 24-year-old sniper led the league in Points for almost the entire season. While he may not have finished the season in the top spot, he is definitely still in the nightmares of goaltenders from around the world.
Nikita Kucherov played in all but two games with the Tampa Bay Lightning this season. In that amount of time, Kucherov brought home 39 goals and 61 assists for a total of 100 points. Kuch would finish the season in third place in the league in Points. This is the first time in his NHL career he has built himself a 100-point season.
The scoring prowess of one Nikita Kucherov has not quelled any since the start of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Kucherov has played in all 10 games the Bolts have played until this point in the postseason. In this amount of time, Kucherov has brought home six goals and six assists for a total of 12 points.
The Russian forward hit a bit of a slump in the Lightning’s second-round series against the Boston Bruins, but this would all come to an end before the buzzer would sound to end Game 5. Kucherov picked up a goal in Game 4 and an assist in Game 5. Needless to say, this annoying monkey is definitely off his back.
Nikita Kucherov has many things working to his advantage in this particular matchup. Excluding the obvious age difference between Kucherov and Ovechkin, Kucherov has blinding speed combined with a tremendous shot. He is not afraid to dig deep for rebounds or to fire off shots from the dirty places.
Being on the SportsCenter highlight reel is not nearly as satisfying as raising the Stanley Cup high above your head. If the Lightning needs to fire from the dirty places in order to continue advancing, then this is exactly what everyone here in the Bolts Nation wants to see.
Nikita Kucherov and Lightning captain Steven Stamkos are quickly becoming the Lightning’s new dynamic duo. The two of them feed perfectly off one another and one’s success seems to drive the other. If one of these two gets hot, the Capitals are going to be in for a rough series.
#8 Alex Ovechkin
While Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is quite a few points shy of the 100-point season had by Nikita Kucherov, he has still been quite a force to be reckoned with on the ice this season. In fact, there are some regards in which he was a league-leader.
Alex Ovechkin played in every single regular season game with the Capitals this season. Over the course of 82 games, Ovi brought home 49 goals and 38 assists for a total of 87 points. These numbers earned Ovechkin the top spot in the NHL in Goals.
Much like Nikita Kucherov, Alex Ovechkin’s on-ice production did not end when the buzzer sounded to end the regular season. Ovi has played in 12 postseason contests with the Caps this season, scoring eight goals and seven assists for a total of 15 points thus far.
Ovechkin has also been a driving force of the Capitals Power Play unit. He currently has three goals and three assists for a total of six points on the Power Play in the postseason. This is definitely not a good thing for the Lightning considering the abysmal state of their Penalty Kill.
One thing Ovechkin is not exactly known for is his assists. This could work to the advantage of the Lightning. If the Bolts defense can find a way to shut down Alex Ovechkin, they could potentially shut down his entire line.
The Lightning, who has an entire roster full of young talent hungry to claim their piece of history, can score from just about anywhere. If the Lightning can play to Ovechkin’s vanity and ultimately shut him down, the Bolts could easily gain the early advantage over the Caps.
No matter which way you look at it, Alex Ovechkin is a force to be reckoned with on the ice and he brings a lot of veteran presence to the Capitals lineup. Two of the most obvious keys to a Lightning victory here is staying out of the box and shutting down Alex Ovechkin.
The Takeaway
Nikita Kucherov and Alex Ovechkin are two of the most talented players in the National Hockey League right now. Seeing the two of them come together in the center of the ice, both with the hopes of advancing to the next round and becoming a lasting piece of history, is exactly what playoff hockey is all about.
Both the Lightning and Capitals defenses (and their goaltenders) have their work cut out for them over the course of the next couple of weeks. The Bolts will need to be aggressive on the forecheck, lay down some hard hits, and ultimately limit the amount of time the Caps spend in their offensive zone.
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Andrei Vasilevskiy has quickly proven himself to be one of the most talented goaltenders in the National Hockey League. Unfortunately, no one, not even Vasilevskiy, is perfect. The Bolts defense is going to have to do their part and prevent players like Alex Ovechkin from getting opportunities and leaning on Vasilevskiy.
The bottom line is this is going to be a highly-contested series. Each team is capable of putting up the numbers just like each team is capable of shutting down their opponents. What it all boils down to is who wants it more and who is willing to fight for their place in the record books.
Will the Washington Capitals finally break the postseason curse which has plagued them for countless seasons? Could this be the season the Tampa Bay Lightning returns to the Stanley Cup Final in the hopes of raising the Cup high in the air for the first time since 2004? We’ll all find out soon enough.
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The action kicks off tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time from the Amalie Arena in the heart of Downtown Tampa. If you weren’t one of the 19,092 fans lucky enough to score a ticket to tonight’s game, there are still plenty of ways to stay on top of the action. Here’s a look at all the information you need for tonight’s Game 1 showdown.