Stanley Cup Final: 4 Big Takeaways from Game 1 as the Lightning crush the Canadiens

1. Nikita Kucherov’s Postseason Legend Grows

Nikita Kucherov is one of the most talented players gracing the National Hockey League with his presence right now, as perfectly illustrated by his 547 points (221 G, 326 A) in 515 career NHL games.

However, as special as the 28-year-old is during the regular season, he seems to be able to elevate his game to unfathomable new heights during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and that was certainly the case last year as he recorded 34 points (7 G, 27 A) in 25 games to help the Lightning win the Stanley Cup.

Well, Kucherov’s postseason legend is only continuing to grow in these Playoffs as he has once again anchored this explosive Tampa Bay offense and carried it to new heights, putting on an unmissable show night after night.

Yes, there will be some out there reluctant to shower praise on the right wing given that he missed the entire regular season with injury only to be fully healthy for the Playoffs, while the Lightning worked their way out of salary cap hell in the process.

You can’t hold that against the player, though, and besides, any hockey purist can appreciate the kind of mind-boggling sorcery being weaved by Kucherov on the ice right now.

He tallied three points in Game 1 against the Canadiens, including ripping an unstoppable shot past Carey Price in the third period before feeding a nice dish to Steven Stamkos for a power play goal later in that same period.

It leaves Kucherov with 30 points (7 G, 23 A) in 19 games this postseason and, given the elite level he is currently operating at, it is incredibly likely that he surpasses last year’s totals by the time this series is wrapped up.

Furthermore, the three-time All-Star now has a combined total of 64 points over the past two postseasons, with only the legendary pair of Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky having recorded more points over the span of two Playoffs.

That highlights just how special a postseason performer Kucherov is, and his ability to ramp his game up another level or two when it really counts will be a huge part of his overall legacy once his playing days are over, especially if he can help lead the Lightning to a second straight Stanley Cup this summer.